Crossed Hearts
by TearsOfNightfall
Summary: The group split 8 years ago...and a lot can change in 8 years, as Nana discovers when she crosses paths with a drastically different Cooro. But when the entire group ends up back together, can they protect both him and themselves? CooroXNana
1. Prologue: Sleepless Nights

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_Okay, so, this is my third fan-fiction, and my first not based on the Klonoa video game series! One of which is _almost _finished – I'm just finishing up the last little bit of the final chapter, and the other of which is a kind of second priority fic, so I thought it was time to start something new as well. Plus, as much as I love Klonoa, I wanted to try writing for a different series. +Anima was an obvious choice since I've been really into the series since discovering the books about 6 months ago…plus writing something for a manga sounds like fun! (A pity +Anima doesn't even have its own section, though…)._

_Notes:__ I've been following the U.S. Tokyopop retail releases, so I've read up until +Anima Volume 8.__** I have not read volumes 9 or 10 – please don't spoil anything for me from those two! **__Even though I have this story set 8 years after the groups supposed splitting, I do not know what actually happens at the end of the series…again, please don't spoil it for me – think of this as AU, since I need things to be a certain way for this fic to work anyway. __**However, I will probably still make some references to happenings in the first 8 volumes, so there will likely be some spoilers for the series up until that point**__ (and possibly afterwards after the last two volumes are released…depending on how they fit and if I end up wanting to use anything from them). _

_Well, here goes nothing! The first little section probably wont make a whole lot of sense, but later on in the story it should. _

* * *

**Prologue:** Sleepless Nights And Autumn Mornings

* * *

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

_I can hear the rain tapping on my roof; running down my windowpane like tired little fingers. The branches are clawing lightly on the wood and glass outside – it sounds like they want in, like they want to escape the soft but chilled breeze that is stirring them. It really is autumn. _

The dark-haired boy shuffled in bed, turning away from the window, and the wet, watery drops that were beginning to settle there. It was dark, but a delicate, warm light shown from the lantern that rested on the bedside table – bathing the small room in a fragile shade of orange.

The boy pulled the blanket closer to his face, covering his whole body up to his nose in an attempt to combat the slight chill that was also trying to find its way in from outside. But there was another, much stranger chill that seemed to be coming from the inside, sending a shiver down his spine as an all too familiar tingling sensation began to well up in the tips of his shoulders.

_She's here, isn't she? I know it! I can feel her!_

He instinctively laid his hands over his shoulders, wincing as the odd, feverous pounding spread all the way down his arms.

_Somewhere close!_

The boy curled tightly, his arms wrapped around himself and his knees to his chest, all of his limbs tense. But there was little he could do to guard himself against this particular pain.

_Why wont she leave me alone?_

He kept his eyes fixed on the flickering flame of lantern, the only small pinpoint of light in the otherwise overwhelming dankness of the room. He could understand what she was saying, even if he couldn't hear her words.

"Come. Wont you join me…'Cooro'?"

_No! No! No! Just leave me alone!_

The strange pounding sensation throbbing in his shoulders and arms increased sharply, causing him to furl together even tighter. It wasn't pain in the normal sense…almost more like something trying to burst out. Some strange inkling trying to escape from inside of him that was almost more mental than physical.

"You're afraid, aren't you?"

_No…I…I'm not afraid, but I've told you before – I want nothing to do with you!_

"Don't think you can lie to me, I understand how your mind works better than even you do. I know the fear that you use to shield yourself from the feelings buried inside you, but there is no reason to be afraid of what lies within. No reason to fear your own heart."

_You're wrong, you don't know me! Stop it, please, just stop it – leave me alone!_

"Oh come on; let's not play this game again. It should have been over a long time ago. Now, come to me!"

_No!_

He let out a sudden scream, the pulsing throb in his mind and underneath his skin bursting through him all at once like a wild rush of fire.

"No!" The word finally slipped from his mouth, breaking his physical silence as the shriek tore through the room.

He reached for the lantern without even thinking, desperate to cut off the terrible sensation and the voice whispering in his ear.

Another scream escaped from his lips as he struck his hand towards the middle of the candle flame and held it there, letting the physical burn distract him from the different sort of burn raging from inside his body. …And all at once, he was alone, the connection between him and the voice severed.

The pulse in his shoulders and arms faded, the haze in his mind receding with it and leaving him with nothing but a sting in his burnt hand. He was still shaking, panting for breath as the autumn darkness stayed as stagnant as ever.

"No…"

* * *

The young girl stopped for just a moment, sparing a glance at the morning sun as it first peeked from behind the hills, the dim light reflecting off her soft, light-brown hair. The skies were perfectly clear as the sun slowly brightened the horizon, the last night's mild wind having cleared out its own rain.

The first morning of autumn. Summer had perished for another year. But even though the chill in the air couldn't be denied, the day still promised to be beautiful.

She took in a deep, quiet breath, letting the chilled freshness of the morning liven her sleepy senses. It was still too early to be running around like this.

"Hey, Nana, hurry up! The cart will be here soon!"

The girl blinked, disrupted from her own quiet thoughts. "Oh…sorry. I'm coming!"

Nana had come to work for a food merchant in Astaria – a company that ran a local shop and shipped fruits, meats, and vegetables from the ranch it owned to stores in other cities as well, via the shipping carts that came by during the warm season every month or so. The pay she received was minimal, but more than that, the owner provided her housing in exchange for her daily work in the orchards.

She hurried down the hill towards the shop, carefully balancing the stuffed, heavy barrel of apples and peaches in her arms.

"Did you hear what happened last night?"

The voice turned her attention towards the front of the store, where several other workers had gathered, as she dropped her load by the other parcels gathered for the cart. Her work finished, she padded over to the group, listening from the edge with curiosity. As far as she knew, nothing out of the ordinary had happened that night.

"What do you mean?" A tall, light-haired boy asked the man who had brought it up. "It was a bit cold, but that's all."

"A friend of mine works for the city guards, I ran into him this morning." The well-muscled, brown-haired man frowned. "Not a good night for him – there's been another murder." "What!" The boy's eyes opened wide. "_Another _one?" A red-haired girl gathered nearby butted in. "But there was that woman found in the park just a few days ago!"

So, another murder, huh? Nana had heard about the elderly women found splayed across the park bench. It was still a mystery what, or who, had killed her… There had been hardly any signs of physical injury, but there had been nothing wrong with her, either. In the end, city guardians and doctors had declared it foul play. She felt a shiver run down to her feet.

"I know." The man nodded grimly. "This time it was a man, just lying there in his own home. But apparently it looked remarkably similar to the killing a few days ago…signs of trauma, but almost no physical injuries to speak of. Scary, huh?" "Geez, not even safe in our own houses anymore..." The other girl added, practically spitting with disgust. "Do they have any idea who the culprit might be?" The boy from before inquired. "We can't just have a killer like that roaming around! That's twice in one week!"

"Well…" The man seemed hesitant for a moment. "There was the man's wife, who was left shaken but somehow unharmed. She claims that she heard a commotion late that night coming from the living room…and that she ran in to find her husband lying dead with a thin, clocked figure hovering over him. And…" The speaker paused, hesitating again. "And…?" The red-haired girl prompted. "And she claims that this person sprouted these _huge_, black wings and flew away as soon as she walked in…just like that! Leaving behind nothing but a few black feathers…"

Nana caught a startled gasp in her throat, her own eyes widening. _Black wings?_

"Of course…" The man continued casually. "The wife was probably delusional. That nonsense was probably brought about by the trauma of watching her husband die. Actually, she herself has been taken in for questioning under suspicion of murder… A story like that isn't particularly believable. ...She does have those few feathers she supposedly saved, though…"

"Wait!" Nana suddenly interrupted from where she stood a few feet away, almost shouting as she took a few steps closer. "This person with black, feathery wings, did she get a good look at him? What did he look like?"

The man blinked in surprise, passing her an odd look. "_She_." He corrected. "The person that the wife claims to have seen was a woman."

"O…oh." Nana's voice shifted. "Is she sure?" "Yes." The man confirmed simply. "Apparently the killer's rather… _specific_, amount of clothing made her quite positive." "Really, a woman? That's unusual." The blond-haired boy remarked, taking over the conversation. Nana receded a bit, her cheeks blushing slightly. She felt a bit embarrassed at the sudden outburst…and quite frankly, she was surprised with herself as well. But she had known someone with black wings once…

_For a second, I almost thought… But it was a woman, so it couldn't be! _Now she wished she'd just kept quiet.

"Who cares?" The man's voice rose in pitch, dragging Nana's attention back to the conversation. "It's all absurd anyway!" "Well, could it have been one of those +anima?" The boy added in again. "You know, those people that are part animal? They can have wings and stuff, can't they?" "Well, I suppose…" The man looked thoughtful, considering the idea. "Savage things – it wouldn't surprise me at all!" The girl remarked distastefully, her nose wrinkled.

Nana caught a snort before it left her mouth, offended at the last remark. She knew, though, that it was probably true. Black wings certainly meant it couldn't have been a _normal_ person, but she knew well that a +anima like that was entirely possible.

She found herself subconsciously tightening her shirt as she turned to walk away, the conversation making her uncomfortable. No one there knew her secret, and she'd been careful over the years to make sure it stayed that way…

The sound of wheels on stone suddenly faded in from the distance, stealing the attention of all the workers away from the conversation. "Hey, it's the cart." The other girl piped up, changing her tone. "Come on, let's go get ready to load it up, we should try to get this done quickly."

Nana sighed inwardly, glad for the interruption, as she hurried over to help.

* * *

_Cooro…_

Nana found her thoughts returning to the morning's conversation as she rested on the shop's old cedar porch – her mind wandering freely as she watched the shipping cart slip away into the noon shadows. Taking a sleeve from her work clothes, she wiped the sweat off her brow as she slowly let her muscles relax after the dawn's labor, the dusty smell of the sun on the old building's frame finding it's away into her nose.

Filling up the shipping carts was always a lot of effort. Considering that they only arrived during the summer months, the loads always had to be big enough to ensure the well-being of the merchant company during the winter. Depending on the weather, that could've been the last shipment until next spring. How many seasons had she seen pass there now, from the old cabin on the orchard? Seven? Eight?

She let herself collapse onto the musty deck, taking in a sigh as she felt a slight fall breeze begin to whistle by again. Yes, that's right, this would be the eighth.

All the talk earlier, about the person with black wings and the +anima, had made her think about the friend's she'd lost those eight years ago for the first time in a while.

_Cooro, Husky, Senri…_

She'd joined up with the merchant group soon after she'd parted ways with her three companions, and had never crossed paths with any of them since. It was like they'd ceased to exist.

Were they even still alive? She didn't know. She liked to think so, though – she didn't want to believe otherwise. Despite how much time had passed, they'd all four been very close once, and they'd saved her from a life of abuse and thievery that she'd never wanted. …Thinking about it now, though, felt more like thinking about something that had happened to someone else, rather than her own past. Her current life, filled with fruit trees and the merchant shop, was completely different than anything she'd shared with her childhood friends. Their faces had become more like memories from a dream. Like still, faded paintings in her mind.

"Nana?"

"Huh?" She shot up at once, started at the voice that had suddenly appeared above her. She'd been so engrossed in her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed anyone approaching. It was Niomi, she realized after giving her heart a few seconds to slow down, the owner of the merchant business.

The woman was holding a cloth bag in her hands, a warm but gruff smile on her face as she waited for Nana to gather herself.

"Nana." She started again. "This package of food and supplies was left by the driver of the cart for the gang of miners that have settled over by the mountains." The shop owner gestured with her hands towards the direction of the northern woods. "It's not too far away, but it would be a difficult path for the cart to travel – we've been asked to deliver it for them. If you take the bag to the miners this afternoon, I'll give you the money the cart paid us for the chore."

"Oh…you want me to deliver it?" Nana questioned, still surprised by the sudden task. "Yep." Niomi confirmed. "It shouldn't take too long; just go through the woods until you reach the cabins set up by the caves near the mountain base. If you hurry, you can probably make it back well before dinner."

"Is it Taru's group?" Nana asked as she got to her feet, deciding to go ahead to get the delivery done. A little extra pay certainly never hurt, and a simple trip through the woods was easy enough.

Niomi nodded. "Indeed. They've come back for the season."

The old cabins that had been built years ago by the mountain base were usually vacant, but on occasion some mining group or another would return there to search for the coal and ores that were getting increasingly difficult to find elsewhere. Taru's group was the one that frequented most, consisting of only the hardened miner and the small group of otherwise homeless boys he would usually take with him. Nana had come across them a few times before, what with the mining camp being located so close to the shop.

"Okay." The girl smiled as she took the bag from her boss. "I'll hurry up and get this over there."

Nana had made her way towards the edge of the forest just a few minutes later, wanting to get this over with quickly.

_Hmm…it would be faster if…_

She took a quick glance around. From where she was behind the store, no one seemed to be watching, and the package seemed light enough…

_Well…as long as no one sees me, what harm could it do?_

With one last careful study of the area, she closed her eyes, all at once letting a familiar sensation tingle her senses as bat-like wings burst from her back. A smile spread across her face as she took to the air between the trees, enjoying the sense of the wind against her face and the sight of the ground growing farther away as she weaved through the brush – her wings beating powerfully behind her.

It had been too long.

* * *

_Well…that's it for the prologue! A bit lengthy for an introduction perhaps, but it sets the stage well. Also, if you'd like a slightly better idea of where this is going, I have a much bigger summary for this story on my profile. _

_Anyway, please review and let me know what you think!_


	2. Chapter One: The Runaway

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_Here's the first full chapter! It's quite long, but I wanted to have this all in one chapter, since it is the full beginning to the story. There's a lot of set-up and dialogue here, but it will be important for the next chapter – when things actually start picking up. _

* * *

**Chapter One: **The Runaway

* * *

Nana brushed the hair out of her eyes, tucking it back behind one ear as she flew between the trees, the wind in her face making the stray sections of her bangs dance. She was deeper into the forest now, and would soon be approaching the old cabins by the mountain base where the miners were currently making their residence.

Light flickered through the trees, painting the forest floor in dappled shades of green, brown, and gray – a signal that meant the sun was still at a high point in the sky. She was making good time.

The firs and brush were slowly starting to thin, prompting her to take a careful look around as she weaved through the branches.

_I should probably land soon; it would be a disaster if anyone saw me like this._

Nana fixed her gaze in the distance, trying to locate any signs of the mining camp. Distracted by the sounds of the birds and bugs making way to let her pass, and the fading smells of summer, she hadn't been paying particular attention to where she was going. It had to be coming up soon, though.

"Ommph!" All at once something hard smacked into her left cheek and chest, knocking her out of the air and right on top of something spindly and stiff. With her eyes on the horizon, she hadn't even seen it coming.

Dazed, she lay sprawled on the ground for a moment, a hand to her head as she slowly pushed herself to her knees. It was only when she heard a muffled moan and felt the object shuffle beneath her that she realized she was lying on top of…a body! She'd crashed right into another person!

_My wings! _

She was back to her senses in an instant, quickly getting to her feet as her bat-like wings disappeared.

"Oh no! I'm so, _so_ sorry! I was in a hurry and wasn't watching where I was going! Are you all right?" She stretched out a hand, but the person below didn't take it as they flipped around, turning to face her from where they lay.

The figure she'd smashed into was a boy with dark hair, his eyes wide and his breath coming in short, startled rasps. Nana subconsciously backed away a bit, taken aback by the look of utter shock.

Panic suddenly flared in her chest. What was wrong? Was he hurt? Had he seen her wings?

_Oh no, if he saw me…! _

What should she do? If she ran away now there wouldn't be anything she could do if the boy decided to tell someone about her. But what could she say if she stayed? Maybe he was just dazed from the impact, she prayed.

…Who was it, anyway? Was it someone from the merchant shop? Someone from Taru's gang? Would they know who she was?

"Are…are you okay?" She repeated as she bent down, trying to calm her heart enough to get a better look at his face, to really take in his features.

It was only an instant before her stomach jumped again, her breath catching in her throat as a hand flew to her mouth.

_Cooro? _

The boy suddenly jumped to his feet as Nana stumbled back, bolting off behind her without so much as a second glance.

"Hey, wait!" Nana called, finding her breath again as the boy disappeared into the brush. But it was no use…he was already long gone, any sign of him obscured by the shade that swam through the forest. There were footsteps fading in the general direction of the merchant shop, but there was no way she could catch him without using her wings…which was the last thing she needed to do.

She just stood there for a moment, twiddling her fingers as her breathing slowly evened. It was still a moment before her senses recovered, her heart beating quickly.

_He…he looked just like…_

Nana gave a quick shake of her head, as if denying her own thoughts.

_I think I might be losing my mind…_

It couldn't have been him, could it? _No._ There was just no way… Maybe it was the conversation from earlier that morning still playing games with her thoughts. After all, she'd been thinking about her old friends for the first time in a while…in her nostalgia, perhaps pictures from the past where the first thing that had come to her mind after she'd gotten dazed and worked up, especially if the dark-haired boy did have a slight resemblance.

Besides…if it _had_ actually been him, why would he have just taken off like that? Wouldn't he have recognized me, too? Surely he would've said _something_!

Yes, that's right. She was being foolish. Her earlier reminisces were getting the better of her.

She shook her head again, dismissing the idea completely.

Nevertheless, she still had the possibility of the boy, whoever he was, telling someone about her wings to worry about. However, one thing was for sure, he _wasn't_ someone she recognized from either the merchant shop or Taru's group of young miners. So maybe she didn't have to fret too much. After all, if she didn't know him, and he didn't know her, it's not like he could identify the 'bat-winged girl' he saw to anyone anyway. And aside from that, she still didn't know for sure he'd even caught sight of her wings…if she was lucky, he could've just been terribly shaken up from the collision.

Nana took in a quick sigh, brushing the grime and dried leaves off her dress as she glanced down at the assortment of food, knives, rope, bandages, and rags dotting the ground. She picked up the near-empty bag, carefully putting the bruised fruit and dirty supplies back into the parcel with a frown. Niomi wouldn't be happy…but at least the garbs she was wearing were just working clothes, and the food could probably be washed off…

In any case, the whole mishap had set her back a bit. She needed to hurry to Taru's.

* * *

"Hey Nana – that you?"

The voice came from the direction of a gap in the trees, the shadow's and thorns of the small forest giving way to the clear, bright fields that lay at the feet of the mountains. Mild, green grass covered the soil like a carpet, swaying gently in the autumn breeze.

Nana turned in the direction of the voice, nodding with a smile as she stepped out of the shade; chilled sunlight hitting her face.

"Delivery from the shipping cart this morning!" She pulled off the refilled package from where it rested on her shoulder, holding it up as she walked towards the porch of the main cabin – where Taru was waiting with a wave.

"Ah, good, but did Niomi make you walk all the way out here? I was going to send someone to fetch our order this evening." The miner reached out and took the bag as she approached, his hands rough from years of labor. Nana just smiled. "Well…it means a little extra pay for me, so I don't really mind. Niomi just likes to run things herself." "Of course." The hint of a grin appeared on Taru's face as he reached into his pocket. "But, here, take this for your trouble." He flicked a coin into the air, the bronze gleam landing in Nana's plam. "Oh…thank you…" She took a glance down, putting the coin in her hands into her own pocket. "I…I'm sorry, though, I accidently spilled some of the stuff on the ground on the way here. It's a bit dirty…" "Don't worry about it, lass. A little dust is nothing new." He set the package down on the porch. "You got here just in time, too. We were just going to head into the caves. Let me get someone to take care of these supplies."

Taru turned around, looking behind him at the place where his young followers had gathered by the mouth of the nearest cave. "Hey…where's…?"

"Huh?" Nana followed his gaze, wondering whom the miner could be referring to. The last time she'd seen Taru, there had been six boy's traveling with him…and there were five boys standing near the entrance of the mine now. She scanned them, trying to see who was missing. She'd didn't know any of them particularly personally, but from early encounter's with Taru's gang she recognized them all. The one that was missing was Yumea, the eldest of the miner's young followers.

Nana looked back to Taru, who was still scanning the area around the cabins. "Who are you looking for? Yumea?" She asked out of pure curiosity.

The man tensed for a second, never turning his gaze towards her. "…No…"

Nana blinked, surprised by both the answer and the tone of his voice. "Then, who…?"

"Oh…just another one of my boys." Taru answered distractedly, taking another glance around. "Ugh, don't tell me he took off again!"

"Took off?" Nana inquired, confused.

"Hey!" Taru called, ignoring Nana's bewilderment and turning to his group of workers. "Has anyone seen Cooro recently?"

Nana felt a shiver shoot up her spine. "What?"

_Cooro…?_

"No." One of the other boys bellowed back. "Why? He gone missing again?" The old miner signaled the boy closer, a sigh in his voice. "Justin…would you check the cabin for me and see if he's in his room?"

"Umm…what'd you say his name was?" Nana repeated, the words spilling from her lips louder this time.

"Oh…Cooro." The man started, answering casually. "He only joined us about six months ago…I don't think you would have met him. The lad burnt his hand last night, so he wouldn't be much help in the mines. I was going to ask him to stay here to put away and wash the supplies. Actually…he was the one I was originally going to send to pick them up, but it looks like he might have done his vanishing act. He has a tendency to up and disappear."

Nana didn't say anything, feeling a slight flush come to her cheeks.

The doors from the cabin to the left slowly creaked, the boy named Justin stepping out. "No. Empty. He's not there."

"Wait…" Nana suddenly piped up again, slightly hesitant. "What does he look like? Does he have dark hair?"

Taru nodded, turning back towards her. "Yep. Dark hair…he's a tall, skinny little thing."

"I…I think I might have seem him earlier." Nana continued, her voice unsure. "I bumped into someone sorta like that while I was coming through the woods."

"Really? Where was he headed?" The miner inquired, clearly a bit surprised.

"I don't know exactly… He…he just bolted away! But it looked like he was headed towards the general direction of the market…" The girl explained, not bothering to go into the details of their little collision.

"Shoot, I hadn't told him to go anywhere yet – he was supposed to stay here. Ugh. Sounds like did run off!" Taru sighed, sounding more exasperated than concerned.

Nana's eyes rested blankly on her shoes…her mind swarming with images from earlier. Could it really have been _that_ Cooro?

_That boy…his face! I didn't really think it could be…but… His name… _

"Anyway, Nana, don't worry about it." She suddenly jerked up at Taru's words, her mind pulled out of her thoughts. "It's no concern of yours…and he could just turn up later, you never know. Maybe I'll take a look around if he's not back by sundown. …The rest of us are going to start out for the mines now, you may as well head back too. Thanks again for bringing the package!

"…Oh…right…"

* * *

Nana's head was still in a haze as she unlocked the door to her own small cabin. She hadn't fetched dinner yet, but as of the moment, didn't feel like bothering. The only thing that was calling to her right then was her bed.

She'd gotten back at the beginning of the evening, all of her muscles aching from her labor that morning and her romp through the woods that afternoon. She'd had little rest all day, so it seemed fair enough to go lay down a bit early. Maybe she'd go get something to eat a bit later.

The sky had started turning red only a few moments ago, the twilight transforming the mild autumn clouds into a tapestry of crimson and lavender as the crickets started to pipe up. A single cold drop hit her hand as she unbolted the door, causing her to spare a glance above as more water began to fall from the emerging clouds.

The weather was changing. It'd been a beautiful afternoon, but the soft breeze was steadily but surely bringing in rain from the mountains, and the sea that lay beyond them. So far it was just a drizzle, but Nana knew that it was only going to get worse. It happened every year around this time like clockwork…that was one thing she'd certainly come to realize from all the seasons she'd seen pass from the orchard. The seasonal shifts in the area were very dramatic – it almost looked like a storm could be coming.

By later that night, it was quite possible for the light, wispy rain and wind to swell into something much more formidable…but as long as she stayed inside there was no reason it'd be a problem.

She stepped into the cabin, scents of candle wax and old wood filling her nose. The girl reached into her pockets with an inward sigh, setting down both the tip she'd received from Taru and the extra pay she'd picked up from Niomi on the small oak dinning table as she plopped into bed.

…She hadn't run into anyone on her trip back this time… She'd stopped a few times, at the place where she'd collided with the boy earlier, and in areas towards the direction he'd run off…but there was no one there.

_Could it really have been him?_

The boy's face from earlier once again found it's way into her thoughts as she tucked her self under the cottage blankets, the stubborn image refusing to be put away.

Perhaps her mind had been clear after all. Maybe she really had seen correctly. After all, if there was a boy missing by that name…

…Coincidence or not, it seemed highly unlikely that anyone else could bear both her old friend's name _and_ his face.

_...Impossible._

Funny, too, that this was happening now, after she'd just been reminded of her old companions earlier that morning. But, perhaps that was just the way things worked… Everything always came at once, and at the oddest times.

What had Taru meant by a 'tendency to disappear?' And if it truly had been the Cooro from her memories, he hadn't said a word. Had he not realized it was her? Or had he simply not cared? A small sliver of hurt appeared on the edges of her senses, though she quickly suppressed it, not willing to recognize that it was there.

After all, that was _eight_ years ago.

Eight years ago…she'd been but a child then. Things were different now. She had a job, a place to call home.

Maybe nothing else mattered anymore. Or, at least, nothing from a childhood she largely wanted to forget.

She yawned, feeling her eyes start to close despite the cacophony of thoughts in mind. The day's events had left her utterly drained.

It was times like this when she couldn't be thankful enough for her small, warm cottage on the orchard, the growing breeze whistling through the branches like a lullaby.

* * *

A blaze of light racked across the horizon, the booming echo that followed reverberating through the sky.

Nana's eyes cracked open, her slumber disturbed by the distant thunder. She sat up slowly after a few confused, sleepy blinks, taking a glance out the window. The last light of the evening still lingered; just the slightest tint of red remaining in the clouds. She must've fallen asleep…but it didn't look like she'd been out for too long.

She took in a yawn, stretching out her arms. So far, it looked like the rain was still light, but the dark swell and lighting over the mountains suggested that it wouldn't stay that way much longer at all. A storm did indeed appear to be coming. Perhaps she should go pick up whatever was left of dinner before it got any worse, and maybe an extra blanket or two while she was at it.

Pulling on her evening jacket and winter boots, she drowsily got herself up out of bed and out the door, into the wet autumn wind. Luckily the store, which was where Niomi made her permanent residence, was just a little ways down from the hill where the fruit trees grew.

Her eyes heavy with sleep, she slipped through the orchards…the grass and soil beneath her feet slippery from the rain. It was only when she heard a sudden rustling to her left that she looked up, quickly spinning her gaze around. A few branches were swaying unnaturally from one of the biggest apple trees, as if they'd just been brushed. She took a few steps closer the tree, the pace of her heart suddenly speeding up. For a second there, she could have sworn she'd heard footsteps!

"Umm…is…is anyone there?" Nana asked quietly, not really expecting an answer as she stepped under the moving branches. Something knocked against the toe of her shoe, sending her eyes downward. A couple of discarded apple cores lay in the mud, the white flesh inside still fresh.

The insides of the round, red object where chewed off in the way a human would have eaten the fruit – someone had definitely just been there!

Her heart took another jump, sending her back a few steps. "H…hello…?" Perhaps it was just someone from the shop, she hoped. "Is someone around here?" She repeated, walking towards the base of the large tree. If someone_ were_ hiding in the orchard, she'd rather know than end up being surprised later.

She stopped, thinking she could hear a quiet rattling from the other side of the trunk. Carefully, she placed a hand over her left ear, letting it grow into a longer, bat-like form for just a moment. She definitely heard a slight stirring from back behind the tree, and…breathing! Her stomach lurched. "I _know_ you're back there!" She belted out accusingly as she jumped back, her heart still pounding. "Who is it? Who are you? I…I wont tell Niomi that you've been stealing apples…" She added the last part hopefully as her voice failed, still praying that it was only one of her fellow workers.

It was a moment before she heard any further movement. "Umm…Nana…is…is that you?" A small voice suddenly piped up, a dampened, dark-haired face slowly peering out from behind the truck.

Nana's eyes stretched wide, a muted gasp caught in her throat. "C…Cooro!" The name spilled from her lips loudly, causing the boy to flinch and duck back behind the tree. It looked like he was going to run.

"N…no! Stop!" She hurried over the base of the tree, the boy looking up at her with visibly tensed muscles, and big, terrified eyes. He looked just like a wild animal, ready to spring and flee at any given moment.

Nana didn't say anything at first, just stood panting and staring in disbelief at the person crouched below her. There was no mistaking it. It was definitely _him_.

"I…I…I'm sorry." The boy suddenly sputtered. "I was going to leave the village, but it…it started to rain, and I didn't have any food or anywhere to stay the night…I thought…I didn't think a few apples would make a difference… I…I didn't realize anyone lived in that house… I'm sorry!" His whole voice shook as he spoke. His hair was wet as if he'd been there a while, and a few extra pieces of fruit remained in his arms.

"Umm… It…it's all right. Don't worry about it." Nana blinked a few times, not understanding the horrible fear in his voice or eyes. "…Cooro…it really is _you_, isn't it?"

There was a pause…the boy looking up at her with the same anxious expression. "…Yes."

So, that was it. It really _was_ him. He'd recognized her too…and hearing him say so left no doubt, not when she could see him clearly right in front of her. One of the childhood friend's she'd left behind was once again standing before her.

Another pause, as Nana, still terribly confused, forced a warm smile across her face. She had absolutely no idea what to say, but something inside of her told her to be gentle. "It's…been a long time…hasn't it?"

Cooro raised his head, some of the fear fading from his eyes just slightly.

"You don't have to be so scared, you know." Nana added with a slight grin. "I haven't grown fangs…yet."

The beginnings of a smile appeared on the boy's face…he finally stood up, standing face to face with her. "Yeah…it has... …Been a long time, I mean."

He suddenly looked much calmer. Even though just the slightest trace of wild fear still lingered in his eyes, he resembled the friend she'd known in more than just features for the first time – the familiar expression he wore opening up a small ache in Nana's chest.

Yet another moment passed without words, the eyes of the two childhood friends meeting in silence.

Cooro was the first to finally speak again. "Do you…want me to leave the apples here?"

"Huh? What?" Nana sputtered, bewildered by the sudden, rather out place, question. "No. It doesn't really matter…you've already picked them, anyway." She paused…considering what she was going to say next. "Cooro…Just why are you here, anyway? Why did you leave Taru?"

There was no answer, the boy's gaze falling down to his shoes. He stood completely still, his eyes beginning to cloud again.

"Err…never mind." Nana corrected promptly, quick to snatch the question back at his reaction. "It's none of my business." Well, technically it _was_ in a way, since he'd ended up in her orchard, but she didn't want to push him…his whole demeanor still quite fearful and delicate.

"…How did you know I was with Taru?" Cooro inquired quietly, raising his gaze again. "…He told me about you when I talked to him earlier." Nana explained briefly. "That's where I was going, when…" Her voice trailed off. "…Did you…recognize me then? When we ran into each other in the forest path?"

Cooro nodded, looking down slightly again. "I…thought so. I wasn't quite sure…but, your wings…"

"Oh, my wings!" Nana suddenly interrupted, her voice rising. "You're not going to tell anyone, are you? I…don't know what Niomi and the others would think…" She regretted the loud pitch a moment later, seeing the boy flinch slightly again…but to her relief, he just smiled. "No…of course not!" She smiled back, her relief visible.

Really, she'd been extremely lucky that, of all people, it'd been him she'd run into. One of the very few that knew the truth about her anyway.

"Why did you just run off like that?" She questioned further, still pondering over their little mishap earlier. "I thought I recognized you too…but…" Cooro averted his gaze again. "I…was a bit dazed, and I didn't really want anyone to see me…" Nana blinked, a bit surprised – his explanation seemed simple enough, but it was his voice that belied him…there was obviously _something_ he was keeping to himself.

"Err…anyway…" Cooro started rather abruptly, perhaps noticing her puzzlement. "Would it be all right if I stayed here, just for tonight? It's still raining…and the trees here do provide some shelter. I promise I wont take anymore fruit…and I'll leave first thing in the morning!"

"What? You mean you want to sleep out here?" Nana's eyes stretched wider. With the promise of a storm in the air, and a wintery dose of rain and wind being swept right off the mountains, the idea of remaining outside was completely mad! The boy, however, just nodded.

"You can't do that! Are you crazy! There's a storm coming tonight!" Nana continued, a hint of concern obvious in her voice even through her disapproving tone. Cooro's fragile smile never wavered. "I'll be fine. I don't have anywhere else to go. I can't go back to Taru yet…and I don't think I can make it through the woods before it hits anyway…" The boy answered undeterred, his voice small.

Another rumble of thunder spread across the sky, as if to prove his point.

Nana let out a quiet sigh, hoping she wouldn't regret what she was about to offer. "Look, I don't know why you even left Taru's in the first place and got yourself into this mess, but I…have a spare bedroom in my cabin… It's tiny, but it does have a bed. How about you sleep there tonight?" She knew what she was doing wasn't particularly wise…but he seemed so pathetic she couldn't help it. After all, they'd been close those eight years ago. They'd traveled all around the continent together, and in the course of which had slept in the same house she didn't know how many times. True, they'd been but children then…but despite her discomfort, she couldn't just leave an old friend out in the middle of a storm, could she?

It seemed like it was going to be a rough one this time, this first autumn storm. The rain was already starting to pick up; the frosty bite of the wind seeping straight through her jacket and chilling her to the bone. What if she woke up in the morning to find him curled lifelessly under one of the apple trees? She'd feel just awful!

"What? You mean you'd let me stay with you?" Cooro was obviously just as surprised at the offer as Nana was with herself for making it. She nodded hesitantly. "…Just for tonight." "Wow, t…thank you, Nana!" The boy's eyes lit up, his whole demeanor brightening at her kindness. "…Are you sure?" She just nodded again. "…Why don't you go ahead and go inside, you're already soaked. I'm going to go down to the shop and grab some extra blankets and some food for us." She abruptly turned as she spoke those words; already heading away from him and down the hill.

* * *

Nana stumbled into the clearing where the merchant store rested, her boots caked with mud and her hair plastered to her face. She'd been outside so long that her clothes offered no more protection to the increasing rain, the cold autumn water seeping right through to her skin. She shivered as she ran towards the shop, wanting to get back to her own warm cottage as soon as possible…odd visitor or not.

"No…I'm afraid I haven't seen him."

Nana stopped briefly as the words reached her ears, the girl looking over in the direction of the familiar voice. Niomi and Taru were both gathered by the old wooden building, the cover that hung over the porch shielding them from the falling water.

"Oh…I see." Taru looked down. "Figures. I expected as much. _Every _time I go looking for him, and _every_ time I end up with nothing. That boy… I don't know why I even bother."

Nana padded over quietly, guessing right away who they were talking about. Niomi looked over, alerted by the sound of the wet soil beneath the girl's feet as she approached. "…Oh, Nana. Taru here is looking for someone…a boy about your age with dark hair, have you seen anyone like that?" "…You know, Cooro? The one I told you about before?" Taru clarified. "He still hasn't shown up, so I thought I'd take a quick look around…I hate to think of him out and about in this whether. You haven't come across him again since this morning, have you?"

Nana just shook her head, carefully avoiding his eyes.

The miner let out a sigh. "He's a strange one, that lad. He comes and goes as he pleases, but he still considers himself part of our group. In the six months since he joined up with us, he's gone missing, what…about five or six times? He never says why, or where he goes – I stopped asking a long time ago – he just meets us on the road later, usually after we depart for our next destination. It doesn't really do any harm…I guess, so I don't say much… It's very odd though." The man paused for a moment, as if searching for the right words to continue. "He's always been a bit…off. Ever since that day when Yumea first found him, curled up alone and sick in the alleyway, it's like the fear in his eyes never completely went away…. He's such a timid, meek little thing…frightened of everything… How that boy even survives on his own, I'll never know! A lot of times I hear him screaming at night too, yelling out like someone's there. I don't know what's wrong with him – the only person he ever opened up to was Yumea, and when he died, it only got worse."

"_What?_ " Nana couldn't help interrupting, despite how intently she'd been listening to Taru's comments. "Yumea…is _dead_?" The last few words had shocked her when their meaning reached her mind. Out of the youth that traveled with the miner, Yumea had been the one that had done the most conversing with the shop. She remembered him well – a tall, well-built boy with red hair who'd been traveling for years. He'd seemed kind, egger to help out all he could. Admittedly, Nana had taken a bit of a liking to him.

Taru simply nodded solemnly, his eyes downcast. "We still don't know what happened, it was about four months ago… He simply didn't wake up one day. We found him in his bed, cold and completely motionless. No one could find anything wrong…he'd always been healthy, and there didn't seem to be any injuries. …But none of that meant a thing – he was gone…" Taru's voice trailed off, a deep, pure sadness visible on his face. He said no more on the topic.

"I'm so sorry, Taru." Niomi commented gently. "I didn't know you'd lost anyone." The miner never answered directly. Nana knew that Taru had known Yumea since the boy had been nothing more than small child…abandoned by his parents. He'd taken him in when no one else had, raising him through the years as his pupil. There was no doubt that his oldest follower had been very special to him. And at only a few months ago, the loss was still very fresh.

"Anyway…I should be heading back." The miner eventually remarked, obviously struggling briefly to steady his voice. "I'm probably going to be caught in the storm as is, and I'm obviously not going to find Cooro… A bit odd or not, he apparently must have some street smarts deep down…he's always been fine when he's disappeared before – maybe he's not as helpless as he seems. He'll probably show up again when we move on from this village. …Honestly, he's not a whole lot of help anyway – he's so nervous and frail. He's just another mouth to feed, but I can't bring myself to turn someone as pathetic as him away. Hopefully he finds some shelter tonight, but I guess it's not really my problem – he'll be back when he feels like it. …Goodnight, Niomi, Nana."

And with that the man turned and walked away, hurrying to get through the woods as quickly as possible. There was no doubt the whether would pick up before he reached the cabins near the caves, but a man of his stature and strength would probably not be too terribly fazed as long as he got back before the worst of it.

Nana just stood for a moment, the old miner's words going through her head.

_Cooro…what's happened to you?_

So it wasn't just her, then…if that was just the way he acted now. She wished she could've asked Taru more, figuring that she could get more out of the miner than Cooro himself, but that would've seemed odd. She already felt a bit uncomfortable having to lie.

The girl looked up at the sound of sigh to find Niomi standing beside her, a sad, small expression on her face. "Poor Taru, huh? It doesn't sound like he's had it easy – first the mining depression, and then everything with Yumea and this Cooro kid." Nana didn't answer, looking down blankly as stray raindrops dampened the cedar beneath her feet.

"Anyway, what brings you here? Come to pick up your dinner at last?" The merchant inquired, her tone picking up quickly. Nana nodded. "Uh, yeah…and I was wondering if I could grab a few extra blankets." The woman just smiled. "Of course you can, Nana. You know you don't really even have to ask!" The girl returned the smile. "Thank you, Niomi."

In the eight years she'd lived in cabin on the orchard, Niomi had in a way become something of a mother to the young girl…as if to replace the one she'd left behind as a small child. And she had a feeling the warmth she felt was mutual. The merchant was the type of person to open up just enough to show simple compassion while still carefully keeping her distance from others, but there was no denying the fondness that welled in her eyes when she looked at Nana.

"Make sure you hurry to bed now, there isn't any point in staying awake in this whether." Niomi added, taking a long glance at the bleak, unpromising horizon. "I have a suspicion this storm could last well into tomorrow, so make sure you take everything you need." "Right, I will." The girl replied simply. "Stay safe and warm tonight, Nana." The merchant placed a warm, gentle hand on her shoulder as she spoke the words, looking down at the girl with an expression reserved only for those closest to her. Nana gazed back up at the taller woman, peacefully closing her eyes for just a moment as she listened to the rain beating down relentlessly on the wooden cover above her. "…You too, Niomi."

* * *

"Cooro!"

Nana hurried up the hill back towards her cabin, packages of food and several blankets cradled in her arms. The boy stood in the exact same place she'd left him in the middle of the orchard, his hair and clothes plastered to his wet body as the rain dripped down his face.

"What are doing still out here? I told you to go ahead and go inside!"

"…I didn't want to go in your house without you… So I thought I'd just wait right here – that's where you left me." Nana shot the soaked Cooro a harsh, if slightly bewildered, glance. "You…were gone a long time." He piped up hesitantly, flinching slightly under her glare.

"Taru was here looking for you." Nana explained simply as she beckoned him towards her cottage. The boy's eyes widened in brief alarm. "You…you didn't tell him I was here, did you?" The girl shook her head. "No. If you just upped and took off, then that's your own business. You're sure lucky I'm giving you somewhere to stay, though." She turned, twisting the door handle and propping the entrance open with her foot as she stepped inside, lighting a few candles to compensate for the fresh darkness as evening slowly turned into night. She took in a deep breath. "Here. Come in."

Cooro paused briefly at the doorway. He poked his head further in and took a cautious glance around, taking in the sights and scents that Nana returned home to everyday before finally taking a few reluctant steps inside. "Are you sure this is alright, Nana?" The girl just sighed, already digging around her armoire. "I already said it was okay, didn't I? You'll be sleeping over there." She turned and pointed towards the entrance to a small, closest sized bedroom; tossing some clothes in his direction that he barely managed to catch. "Change into this. I don't think it'll fit you quite right, but these old work clothes are just big, bulky rags anyway, so maybe it wont matter just for tonight – you're sopping wet, and I can't have you leaving puddles everywhere! …I snuck some extra blankets and food for you, too. Dry off first, then how about we eat dinner and go to bed?" "Oh…right." Cooro set down the apples he was still carrying, quickly scurrying into the small bedroom with the spare set of clothes.

Nana sighed as she heard the door bolt from the inside of the small closet of a room, hoping she hadn't made a terrible mistake in inviting one of her old childhood friends to stay…one that was now grown and that she hadn't seen in years.

Thoughts of the black winged murderer drifted in her head.

_No…that was a woman – it couldn't have anything to do with him!_

Besides, even if he was acting a bit…_off_, as Taru had put it, if he was indeed the Cooro she remembered, then one thing she knew was that a killer he was not. That was just too much! Regardless of how much time had passed, he was still the same person, the same _being_ – that would never change.

A quick burst of light shown through the windows, another blast of thunder tearing it's way through the sky and sending a quick quiver through the cabin – it was obviously much closer than it had been at sunset.

Awkward though it was, especially with him being male and the quarters being so tight, there was no way she could feel good about leaving him out in that whether…even if leaving Taru's had been his own stupid decision.

She plopped herself down at the small dinning table, waiting for him to come join her.

Nana recalled all of her tangled thoughts from earlier. She still couldn't believe it, that he was really here. That was the last thing she would've expected when she'd woken up that morning. It still didn't quite feel real!

She wasn't sure if it'd be more or less awkward to eat dinner alone in separate rooms, or to eat together, but she'd decided on the latter. There was a lot she wanted to ask him…and there wasn't anything wrong with catching up with an old friend, right?

* * *

As she sat across the table, the soft candlelight illuminating the room, she got her first real detailed look at the companion she'd left behind all those years ago.

His skin was pale, his dark hair falling messily over his face. It looked like he'd kept it about the same length he always had, but it was without the braids and bands he'd worn as a child. The old work clothes she'd given him draped limply over his small frame – it was only now that she realized how thin he'd become… and his body still trembled despite the fact he'd long since dried off.

He didn't look healthy at all! He'd always been pretty small, but he'd _never_ looked so weak and frail!

And, as Taru had briefly mentioned earlier, one of his hands was indeed burnt, lying delicately on the table.

Nana looked down as he caught her gaze, fiddling absentmindedly with her fork and the few remaining pieces of potato. She could see now, too, in the mild lighting, that the slight, anxious blaze of fear still lingered in his eyes…subdued though it was.

She'd felt a bit too uncomfortable and distracted to eat much. Cooro had been hesitant as well at first; however, it hadn't been long before the contents of plate had started disappearing quite quickly.

"…Cooro." Nana started, searching for something safe to ask. "Have you heard anything from either Husky or Senri?" The boy looked up again at the question, pausing briefly before shaking his head. "No. …I heard rumors at one of the villages I traveled to with Taru about a toymaker named Senri, but I don't know if that was our Senri or not."

"…Oh, so you haven't seen them either, huh?" He just shook his head again. "I have to admit…" Nana continued. "I was really surprised to see you. I've always wondered what happened to all of you after we split. It's good to see you alive, at least." "Same here…" Cooro agreed briefly after a moment, a small, but genuine smile forming on his face. "I did really miss everyone… It's…good to see you too."

"You've only been traveling with Taru for about six months, right? What were you been doing before then, after we parted ways?" Nana prodded further, curious. Cooro just shrugged. "Well…I was an assistant on a farm for a while, and I worked for a merchant for a bit, too…things like that, but they were all pretty much temporary… For the last while until I meet Taru, I didn't have anywhere to stay."

Right. Taru had said something about finding him huddled alone in an alleyway, Nana reminded herself, but there was no sense in bringing that up.

"You've been here a long time…haven't you?" "Huh? Oh, yeah. I have." Nana replied simply, surprised to have him ask the question for once. "Basically, ever since I last saw you." "Do you like it here?" The boy inquired with a single, simple question.

"Very much." She grinned, enjoying the pleasant memories filling her mind. "At first I had to stay in the shop with Niomi after she took me in and let me work for her, but eventually she let me stay out here for free, in return for taking care of the orchards and harvesting the fruit. It's nice – it gives me something to do, but it's not terribly difficult. I have to keep assisting in the shop and help load the shipping carts, but even getting the fruit from the very tops of the trees isn't hard when no one's watching." She gave a wink as she spoke the last part of the sentence, wings spilling out behind her casually as she gave them a few playful flaps. Cooro blinked and stiffened for a moment, surprised.

"I try not to use my wings too much." Nana explained with what almost resembled a hint of shame in her voice. "No one here knows I'm a +anima…I don't know what they'd think. Someone how I've managed to keep it hidden… Still…" She turned towards the window, brushing the curtain aside with one hand and peering out into the vast dark blue above, the white stars and the plumes of clouds stretching on without end. It was raining more than ever, but even so, the moon was still visible through the thick, wet haze that hung in the sky; its dim light painting a splotch of the darkness a mild yellow. Cooro followed her gaze, looking out at the same picture. "Sometimes I just yearn to fly…for that sensation where it just feels like you can reach out and run your hand through the sky like water, or grab the small sparkles of the stars in your palm…like the world below you doesn't mean a thing… You know what I mean, don't you?"

Cooro didn't say anything for a moment as he passed her a surprised glance, a strange distance filling his eyes for a moment as turned his gaze down to the floor. "Yeah, I do." "Do you still use your wings a lot, Cooro?" Nana asked the question innocently, a warm smile lighting her expression.

"I…" The boy sputtered, his voice fading out. "Well…I…"

_His whole body was shaking – an unpleasant scent filling his nostrils, and the shapes before him fading in and out. The air felt thick, the stone walls threatening to close in. _

_The only things he could make out were the red splotches on the floor, and a few stray black feathers spread across the hallway, painted with that same horrible crimson. The sticky liquid stained his clothes and clung to his hands and face, leaving a salty burn on his tongue. _

_He couldn't speak, couldn't move…just stand there, his back pressed against the wall as his breath came in rasps. _

_It couldn't be! There was no way this could be real!_

"_Cooro!" He didn't need to see their faces to hear the horror in their voices._

_He fell to his knees – his face smacking against the cold floor a moment later, and his limp, gasping figure covered in scarlet as they approached. _

"Huh? Cooro…?" Nana prompted in surprise, seeing a shadow creep over his face and the horrible fear that he'd shown when she'd first found him in orchard blaze through his eyes once again.

He lifted his gaze with a slight gasp at the words. "Oh…" He gave his head a quick shake, as if to clear whatever it was that was going through his head out of his mind. "I…I'm…not a +anima anymore." He finally finished, answering the question without meeting her face.

Nana's eyes widened. "What? You mean your +anima went away? Your wings? _Everything?_" Her voice betrayed her astonishment, the words blurting out before her mind could catch up.

Cooro just nodded, still keeping his gaze on the floor.

"Well, when?" Nana prompted; her mouth even slightly agape.

She knew that it could happen. That as suddenly as a person became a +anima, just as suddenly the +anima could disappear one day…when the powers it granted where no longer needed. But still, she was somehow completely shocked. Cooro of all people had lost his +anima? He'd been the one that'd used it the most…picturing him as just a normal person didn't even feel right. It had been Nana herself who'd always slightly resented her powers.

This time he answered much quicker, not looking up. "Three years ago."

"How does that even happen?" Nana inquired further, her mind overflowing with questions. "Do you just wake up one day to find your +anima gone?"

Cooro gave another light nod. "…Something like that…" He slowly pulled himself up off the chair as he answered. "Umm…you know, Nana…I'm feeling really tired all of the sudden. I…didn't sleep well last night, so I think I'm going to head off to bed."

"O…oh, okay." Nana got up herself, obviously a bit surprised at his abrupt change of tone. She let her wings disappear, going back to her normal form.

"Umm, is…there a candle I could have by my bed?" Cooro asked as he picked up the blankets Nana had set by the bedroom door earlier, his voice betraying his slight embarrassment. "I don't really like to sleep completely in the dark…"

"Sure…" Nana took a small pack of matches and an unlit candle off the window sill, setting it in his hands. "Goodnight." She commented warmly, passing him a smile. "…Goodnight. Thanks so much for letting me stay here." He smiled back just briefly, before sliding quietly into his room and bolting the door.

Nana stayed for just a moment, watching a dim light sudden find its way through the cracks as he lit the candle. She blew out all the other lanterns before heading into her own room, locking the entrance as she plopped into bed. She didn't even bother changing, even if she was still a little damp.

What had that been about?

"_I…I'm…not a +anima anymore." _

Apparently, he hadn't wanted to talk about it. She seemed to have upset him somehow, though she certainly hadn't meant to.

What had really happened to him, she wondered. What had caused the strange anxiety that seemed to have taken over the childhood friend she remembered? How had become so meek and frail?

She closed her eyes, a slight sadness tingling in her chest. She was happy to see him alive…but…

Nana turned towards the window by her bed with a sigh, away from the wall bordering the spare bedroom.

…She didn't think she'd be sleeping too well that night, either.

* * *

_For some reason this chapter was much harder to write than I thought it'd be. It got a bit longer than I'd expected too, but I couldn't really find a way to make it any shorter… I'm pretty happy with how it turned out though, since I got everything I wanted to in it. _

_Now that all this is out of the way, and Nana and Cooro are back together, things are going to take a drastic turn in the next chapter!_


	3. Chapter Two: Bloody Feathers

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_Well, here's Chapter Two! Hopefully I didn't scare anyone away with the overly long Chapter One, this chapter's quite a bit shorter…just a smidge longer than the prologue._

* * *

**Chapter Two:** Bloody Feathers

* * *

It was completely dark outside, and it would have been inside too, had it not been for the candle burning on the bedside table. The clouds had rolled in even thicker; the winds they brought with them tearing against the fruit trees and the harsh rain ripping itself across the rickety old cabin. Thunder roared across the sky, illuminating the curtain covering the sole, small window for just a moment. The whole of the cottage shook slightly, trembling in the first autumn storm.

But it was warm enough inside nevertheless, and though the walls creaked and groaned, they were steady.

Cooro sighed, pulling the two thick blankets he'd been given up to his face and wrapping up his legs in an attempt to get comfortable. He didn't know how long he'd been lying awake with tense muscles and wide open eyes… Nothing at all had happened… Perhaps it was time to just let himself go to sleep. Or at least to try.

He rolled over onto his side, finally letting his body relax and his sleepy eyelids close.

Cooro was so glad not be sleeping under a tree right then, the wind and rain pounding against his flesh and soaking him to the bone. It was dangerous, too, being out in lightening and such high gusts.

The boy liked to think of himself as strong enough to handle something as simple as bad weather, but in the back of his mind he knew how weak he'd become. If it hadn't been for Nana…he could easily have become the autumn's first victim.

He'd known that. He'd known that even when he'd asked to simply stay outside…but even still he would have been fine with just remaining in the orchard. Even if he _had_ succumbed to the elements in the middle of the night…what would it have mattered, anyway? But Nana, even after the years that'd passed, had been kind enough to let him in. Apparently, it would have mattered to _her_.

…He hoped he hadn't put her in danger. Guilt ate at his chest, painting his mind with unease. But still, it was a small smile formed on his face as a sleepy haze eventually started to overcome him. To think, it would have mattered to _someone_. Even if only a little bit.

…It was peaceful, having somewhere safe to stay in the storm.

"Don't get too comfortable!"

His tired eyes shot back open instantly, a rush of the same horrible sensation from the other night suddenly burning through his body and his heart almost jumping out of his chest. He sat up with his hands clasped to his shoulders, wincing as the strange pain spread down his arms. The breath caught in his throat, his whole figure shaking with sudden panic as realization sunk in.

_No! …It's her, it's happening again! Please, no! Not here! _

The sudden familiar burning was all too strong…she was close this time – even closer than she'd been the night before!

"Come and join me, _now_!"

Far too close.

_No – I wont! Not ever! Leave! Please, just leave…_

"Enough. I'm not going to play games tonight! I'm right nearby, and I want you to come find me."

_No! For the last time, just go away! I'm not coming! I wont ever be coming!_

"…Then I take it you don't care much about that girl sleeping in the other room."

Cooro stifled a gasp, the voice's threat hitting him right in the stomach.

"My patience with you is gone! If you want that girl to wake up in the morning, I'd better be seeing you in person soon."

_Nana… No... _The boy didn't answer for a moment, his limbs almost going numb. _No…you wouldn't!_

"Just like I wouldn't kill Yumea?"

Cooro tensed up completely at the mention of his friend's name, tears suddenly falling from his eyes.

_No! No…please! Leave Nana alone! Stay away from her! She has nothing to do with any of this!_

"Do you think I care? …Stupid girl, she'd been better off leaving you to freeze to death. "

The tone of the voice changed, a new hint of amusement tinting it.

"It's your fault, you know…if something _happens_ to her. You shouldn't have stayed with her. You knew that, but you couldn't bring yourself to turn away from her kindness, could you? Kindness. That's something you don't get very often, isn't it?"

A mocking laugh echoed in Cooro's head.

"Selfish. So very selfish! Unless you want you want your old friend here to pay the price for her adorable little offer, you'd better do exactly as I say. Don't wake her up! Don't touch the candle! Don't touch _anything_! If you want her to ever open her eyes again, come straight down to meet me by the merchant shop."

He couldn't…he couldn't go to her! There was no way! If he did…

But, if he _didn't_…then Nana would… He'd be _choosing_ her death.

_Nana…no…_

The boy said nothing, water dripping down to his cheeks from his eyes as he slowly set his trembling feet on the floor. He got out of bed with legs that felt like lead, his heart pounding so fast he could barely keep his balance.

He could hardly breathe – what was he doing? This was mad! Completely mad! But…Nana…

_No! No! No!_

Cooro stumbled out of the small bedroom with his hands still clasped tight around his burning shoulders, his movements rigid with terror and his sight blinded by the tears streaming down his face.

Why had he ever chosen to stay with anyone? It had been for just one night…he'd thought that maybe… He'd been niave. Stupid. Stupid! _Stupid!_

He reached out blindly for the door knob, feeling his sweaty hand slip and knock against something else instead. Glass shattered on the floor, flowers and water spilling out onto the old carpet by the door.

"…Uhh…what?"

Cooro jumped, a sleepy moan sounding from the room behind him. "Nana!" No! He'd woken her up!

He turned and bolted out the door, finally getting it open. He hardly even noticed the wind that whipped him in the face as he dashed into the soggy grass of the orchard.

"Huh…? Cooro? Wait!" Nana had jumped out of bed immediately, hearing the door open. Cooro heard her voice but never looked back, running down the hill as fast as his racing heart would carry him.

"I said wait!" Something hard smacked into him from behind, taking away his breath and knocking him over face first.

Nana had come after him, her wings flapping behind her in the rain. She wrapped her arms around Cooro's chest, holding him back as he struggled to get out of her grip.

"No! Let me go! You have to go back inside!" The boy's words came in terrified, garbled rasps, his eyes as wild as when Nana had first seen him. She could feel his heartbeat pulsing madly against her hands, as if it was going to burst straight through his flesh, and the rags he wore were soaked from what was 

more likely sweat than rain. He'd been acting strange since she'd first come across him, sure, but this was _different_ – this was sheer terror!

A sudden rush of fear shot into the girl's chest, a shiver rushing up her spine as her own body started to shake. "Wait! What's happening? Cooro? What's wrong?"

A scream suddenly split the air, freezing them both in an instant. Their heads jerked towards the direction of the merchant shop, their faces morphed in shock.

"…Niomi!" Nana cried out after a brief moment, abruptly dropping Cooro and immediately bolting towards the store – cutting straight through the air as her wings beat frantically behind her.

Cooro fell right back to the ground. "Nana, no! Stop!" He reached out after her, barely able to stumble to his feet in his panic.

* * *

"Niomi!" Nana was already drenched by the time the store was visible though the darkness, though she didn't even notice the rain pelting down on her as she ran. Nor did she even think about the fact that she was headed right towards the merchant shop in her +anima form.

She dashed onto the porch, running right through the already opened door of the building. "Niomi?" She stopped in the middle of the room, completely frozen.

Even in the bleakness, she could make out two dark shapes further inside. Someone was lying splayed out on the ground.

_Niomi!_

Nana couldn't even scream, barely able to comprehend what she was seeing.

The second figure, a tall dark shape standing over the person on the floor, shifted…the pale skin of its face visible as it looked up towards the girl. A smile played across its lips; big, black wings shuffling behind it as it moved. It was a woman with black, feathery wings and long, dark hair.

Niomi lay motionlessly below, her limbs tangled under the woman's feet. Things from the shop were strewn around, dark splotches dotting the floor and a few bloodstained feathers dancing in the wind that found its way through the open door.

Nana's eyes stretched wide in complete horror, her whole body trembling so terribly that she couldn't even move.

"_Well…" The man seemed hesitant for a moment. "There was the man's wife, who was left shaken but somehow unharmed. She claims that she heard a commotion late that night coming from the living room…and that she ran in to find her husband lying dead with a thin, clocked figure hovering over him. And…" The speaker paused, hesitating again. "And…?" The red-haired girl prompted. "And she claims __that this person sprouted these huge, black wings and flew away as soon as she walked in…just like that! Leaving behind nothing but a few black feathers…" _

It was _her_! The person she'd heard about! The murderer!

"So…you woke up after all, huh? How…amusing."

The black-winged figure took a few steps closer, giving Nana a good looking over.

The bat +anima couldn't even step back, her body refusing to move as tears slowly started to fall from her terrified, disbelieving eyes. "Niomi! _No!_" Her voice came out as a ragged, uneven sob.

"Oh, a friend of yours? My apologies, I must admit I didn't expect to find anyone here… But when I did…well…" The fiend put on a fake guilty guise, answering as casually as ever.

"Niomi!" Nana wailed again, still completely in shock.

The woman bent down close to her.

"Don't worry, doll. Now that you're here, you'll be seeing her again before you know it!" The killer plopped her hands firmly on Nana's shoulders, the girl finally jerking away and letting out a light, sobbing scream. "I had been going to spare you too…such a pity you woke up." The woman added coldly as wicked delight spread across her features, slowly moving her face closer to the squirming, shaking Nana.

"O..oh!"

The fiend abruptly stopped, turning instead towards the entrance as another figure appeared at the door.

"…Oh…no…"

Cooro took a few steps back from the building as his hands flew to his mouth, tears already starting to fall down his face as he caught sight of the motionless form inside.

"C…Cooro!" Nana managed to sputter, finding her voice.

"Nana!" The boy ran inside at the sound of her voice, and took in a sharp gasp as he spotted the girl, suddenly noticing the black-winged figure hovering over her. He backed up against the wall, barely able to keep himself standing as he shivered and jerked. He gave out a sharp cry, falling to his knees as the burning sensation surged through him stronger than ever.

A dark grin lit the woman's face.

"Well, well…look who decided to show up after all."

"No… You… The shop owner!" Cooro's words were barely audible though his tears, the pain ravaging through his body almost keeping his breath from coming.

"That's right…she put up quite a fight too, but I couldn't have anyone else here with me." The killer answered in an almost playful voice, gently running her fingers along Nana's trembling face as she spoke. "And now I have this pretty little girl here, too."

"No…leave her alone!" The boy managed to speak, not looking up from where he sat huddled near the wall. He'd come – she had to let her go!

The woman gave another passive glance from Cooro to Nana, as if considering what to do next.

"Let her go!" Cooro insisted as he struggled to his feet, only to fall back down in pain with another agonized scream.

The woman suddenly loosened her grip on Nana, turning towards Cooro, unmoved. She took a few steps closer to him, deciding to focus on her real target. "It only hurts so much because you fight it, you know."

Cooro lifted his gaze to meet hers for the first time, his eyes a horrible mixture of terror, agony, and hatred.

"Stop!" An awful screech suddenly echoed through the small building. Both the killer and Cooro flinched with their hands to their ears, disoriented from the sonic cry Nana had unleashed with her +anima. A clang followed soon after, the woman falling back as blood spilled from her forehead.

Nana stood before her, holding a spiked iron rod in her hands. She'd managed to get a hold of it when the fiend had loosened her grip, grabbing it from the fire-place.

The girl swiped it through the air again, holding it over the fallen figure's head. "You… Niomi...you…" A fresh wave of tears fell from the girl's eyes as she spoke the words, her voice brimming with rage. "You _killed_ Niomi! I'm not going to let you get away!"

The black-winged woman suddenly brought her left hand forward, a spark of light bursting from her palm right towards Nana. The girl screamed as it connected, falling briefly to the floor without even realizing what had hit her.

Voices could suddenly be heard in the distance as the fiend got back to her feet, coming from the direction of nearby village.

The killer took that as her cue to hurry things up, turning back towards the place where Cooro still sat hunched over. "Come, you must leave with me." She walked over to him and held out a hand, but the boy just shook his head, his eyes still terrified and teary. "No…" "_Oh, just come on!_" The woman practically yelled in her frustration, reaching out and grabbing his arm as Cooro let out another terrible, painful cry.

"No! Stop it!"

The black-winged figure flinched again at the second sonic screech, letting go and stumbling back a few steps.

"Don't touch him, you disgusting piece of filth! You're not leaving. You're not getting away!" Nana charged straight towards her again with a slash from the rod, leaving a cut across the killer's chest.

The fiend jumped back, almost taking another hit as her gaze fell behind her at the sound of the approaching voices. She'd run out of time. _Damn it!_ She was so close…but by the time she dealt with them it'd be too late.

"Ugh! _Forget it_!" The winged killer suddenly jumped into the sky, practically spitting out the words in rage. Even she knew it was wise not to make the huge commotion that would be caused if the people coming saw her, especially since that one widow got a good look at her already that other night.

She flew straight up, quickly angling for the forest behind the shop. Nana took right off into the air after her, clinging to her legs as she tried to make her escape. She swung the iron stick again as she flew, barely missing the woman's face.

The desperate killer suddenly struck her palm forward again, this time placing it right on the girl's stomach. Nana let out a wail as the strange spark went right into her, falling to the ground as the pain tore through her body.

She landed with a dull thud as the black-winged woman disappeared into the shadows of the night sky, her face lying limply in the mud.

* * *

Cooro got to his shaky feet as the burning within him slowly started to ebb, looking over at Niomi in a trance of horror. He still trembled and his heart still pounded in his chest, but he managed to stumble listlessly over to the motionless form; peering down at her through watery eyes.

The woman lay on top of a mixture of blood and broken glass, probably from a vase she'd tried to defend herself with. Her limbs and short, dark brown hair sprawled lifelessly across the oak beneath her, her whole figure hauntingly still. There was a gash across her left cheek, and a horrible scrape running down her side. The wounds alone wouldn't have been fatal, but the shop keeper wasn't breathing.

She was dead.

It was his fault. It was all his fault!

Cooro suddenly fell back to his knees, a ragged, uncontrollable sob tearing from his throat.

She'd followed him. She'd been looking for him. If he'd never stayed there, none of this would've happened. The woman in front of him would still be alive.

Tears streamed down his face.

It was always like this, everywhere he went. Why had he stayed? Even just asking to stay in the orchard had been too much, he should have kept as far away from anyone as possible…even if it meant suffering through the storm all night. He'd been stupid to even hope it might be okay.

And selfish. She'd been right about him.

He slammed his fist into the floor, panting as drops of water continued to fall to the wood below.

Why was he even alive? That killer would always pursue him wherever he went, and along the way, more people would die. Even if he didn't see it, he'd be bringing death with him. Maybe he should just die himself. That would be the best, wouldn't it?

She'd follow him until he came with her… But…if he did what she wanted…then he would…

He looked down as he felt something brush against his wrist. It was a black feather, sliding across the floor in the breeze. He picked it up with shaking fingers, staring down at it thoughtfully. The bristles were matted, the tips of the black shape stained red with blood.

He felt the strange prickling begin to creep into his shoulders again as he let his gaze rest on the bloodstained shape almost hypnotically, tears still falling from his eyes.

"Hey! What the heck is going on! We heard the screaming even from the village!"

A voice resounded through the air as the approaching group of villagers finally made their way into the clearing, snapping Cooro out of his thoughts as he dropped the feather and jolted his eyes back towards the door.

"What? Nana!" A male voice cried out the name, the shock undeniable in his voice.

Oh no! Nana! He hadn't even…

Cooro immediately jumped to his feet and frantically bolted out of the building, coming to a halt when he saw what the group of five or so men were gazing at with such wide eyes.

The girl was lying motionlessly in the mud. She was still in her +anima form – her ears in the triangular bat-like shape, and wings were spread out behind her. The people above her didn't do anything at first, only their faces belaying their disbelief. One man that worked for the merchant shop took a step closer, a hint of disgust creeping over his features. "Nana…she's…"

Cooro suddenly rushed forward, practically shoving the man back. "Stop!" He spat, his eyes wild. "Stay away! Don't you touch her!"

* * *

_Poor Nana and Cooro are both going to need hugs after this…_

_What exactly is Cooro's connection to that strange girl, and why is she after him? And what will happen to Nana now that she's been discovered to be a +anima? Stay tuned!_

_Reviews would be appreciated…let me know what you think of this rather odd chapter._


	4. Chapter Three: Grief And Desperation

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_Okay, on to Chapter Three! _

* * *

**Chapter Three: **Grief And Desperation

* * *

"She…she's a +anima!"

The men surrounding Nana's unconscious form stared down wide-eyed, taking a few steps away.

Cooro still hovered over her, watching their faces with a wild glare that was as angry as it was terrified.

"But…how?" One of the men, apparently a fellow merchant, started. "She's worked with us for years now, and she's never…"

The group of villagers continued to let their gaze rest on the girl, the shock of the sight distracting them from why they had come in the first place, much less what was wrong with her or who the boy standing over her was. Their minds had completely frozen in place.

"But she's too old to have recently become one." Another of the men added. "She must've been hiding it all this time! _Beast_!" He threw his foot forward, giving Nana's still body a kick.

Cooro practically snarled. "No! Stop it! Can't you see that she's hurt?"

The former crow +anima knew full well that this wasn't a village that was particularly tolerant of their kind, if you could ever say there was one. About fifteen years ago, there had been a string of violence and murders by a gang of +anima, who had used their abilities to terrorize the area for months. Eventually, they'd been caught and put down themselves, but the memory still remained fresh in the minds of many village adults. The latest deeds by that black-winged witch certainly hadn't helped either.

"Who the heck are you anyway, boy?" The man yelled back, turning a critical gaze to Cooro. "I don't recall ever seeing you around before. Do you know this _creature_?"

"I…I'm…an old friend of hers." The boy started uncertainly. "…She's hurt, she needs help! Can someone go back and get a doctor?"

"What happened to her anyway? What was going on?" The merchant piped up before the other man could respond. "We could hear the screaming all the way from the village!"

"…It…it was _her_." Cooro stuttered for a moment, having a hard time finding the rest of the words. "The woman with black wings – the one who's been killing these last few days." His gaze fell downward, not meeting their eyes. Any further explanation completely evaded his tongue – he didn't want to have to tell them. Fortunately, he didn't end up having to.

"Niomi!" The shop worker suddenly cried out; abruptly brought out of his shock about Nana when Cooro's words sunk in. He turned and dashed for the old store, coming to a halt when he got a glance inside through the open doorway.

"Niomi!" The name tore from his lips a second time as he darted inside, the note of panic in his voice prompting the rest of the men to follow.

Cooro didn't even bother getting up, knowing too well what they had found. His eyes started to dampen again as he looked blankly down at Nana.

At least she was still breathing, even in the dark Cooro could see that from a close distance. Thank goodness! At first, when he saw her just lying there like that, he'd been afraid that she'd ended up just like…

He bit his lip as guilt welled up in chest, struggling to keep back the sobs.

"Niomi, no!" Cries could be heard from inside the small building, several of the men suddenly charging back out. They stopped at the porch, towering above Cooro.

"Her, it was her!" The boy spun around to face the man in front, his voice crackling with rage as he stretched out a finger towards Nana, a black feather in his other hand. "It was a +anima that did this, wasn't it? Then that means she had to be involved!"

"What?" The boy sputtered, genuinely surprised at the reaction. "No, she –"

"How do we know she didn't plan this from the beginning?" Another of the village group interrupted before he could explain, his words sounding equally angry.

"No! Why would she do that? What would be the point of her killing Niomi? And why would she be so hurt herself?" Cooro stammered breathlessly, desperately trying to reason with them. "She…she tried to stop her!" He didn't at all like where this was going.

"And what if she thought she could take boss' place with her dead, and simply ended up getting a little more injured than she bargained for when her _victim_ tried to fight back?" Yet one more of the men accused.

"No! She used her powers to try to stop the murderer from getting away!" Cooro insisted. "Just because she's a +anima doesn't mean she had anything to do with this!"

"Yeah right, twerp!" One of the men suddenly walked up to Cooro, hoisting him up by the collar of his shirt. "And what about you? A strange boy suddenly appears at a murder scene out of nowhere, and at the aid of a +anima, no less. …You're one of them too, aren't you?"

"N…no! I'm not! Let me go! I…I'm with Taru!" Cooro sputtered, the ever present fear in his eyes blaring as he struggled to escape the older man's grasp.

"We'll see about that!" The man suddenly shoved him to the mud, holding him down. "You +anima have some kind of markings, don't you? I say that makes it pretty easy to tell if you were involved." He started unbuttoning Cooro's shirt, his eyes narrowed determinedly.

"No, stop! I'm…I'm not a +anima! Me and Nana don't have anything to do with this!" Cooro cried out, struggling frantically to push the man away. "_Stop_!"

"Yoouch!" The villager suddenly jerked back with a painful cry, struggling to pry Cooro's jaw off his arm. The boy fell back to the ground after a violent shove, almost tripping over his own limbs as he instinctively stumbled to his feet.

"He…he bit me! That _creature_ bit me!" The man stuttered in shock, holding his shaking, injured arm – a few drops of blood fell from his wrist, painting the wet soil beneath him red.

Cooro stood frozen in place, his breath coming in sharp gasps as he struggled to keep his legs from buckling under him. A salty tang fell over his tongue, tingling the edge of his senses as the crimson liquid dripped down from his teeth and lips. He felt…_dizzy_.

The man stepped closer, his eyes seething with rage. He balled his hands into fists, practically shaking in his anger. "You _wretch_!" Cooro didn't even see the punch coming until it had already struck him on the side of his face, the impact resounding with a sickening thud. This time it was his own blood that spilled from his mouth as he toppled over in a heap.

He didn't even try to get back up this time, his wide, terrified eyes still staring somewhere in the distance as the villager hovered back over him. The man yanked him back up by his right arm, holding Cooro's limp, quivering form close to his. He held back a fist again; ready to make a second strike.

"Stop it Simon." This time it was a different voice that piped up. The man hovering over Cooro turned back, facing Niomi's former employee.

"What the boy says is true. Even if Nana is a +anima, we have no way of knowing for sure if either her or this boy are involved. Vickter has already gone to inform the village guards of what we found." The merchant explained as calmly as he could. "Believe me; I want whoever killed my boss to get what they deserve. But I have a hard time believing that our Nana had anything to do with this, she was like a daughter to Niomi."

The man suddenly walked over towards Nana, carefully lifting her out of the mud. "Vickter is also going back to get a doctor, I'm taking Nana back to her cabin until the officials come. You…let the boy go! …Or the guards aren't going to be pleased with you."

"But he _bit_ me!" The villager holding Cooro argued, his voice still filled with contempt.

"Doesn't matter. You were harassing him first. Let's let the guards do their job and look into this, but until then, none of us have any right to use physical force against either of them – it's not our place."

"Fine! Technically, you're right. But you'll come to regret thinking like this, Rick – there have already been too many murders recently, we can't afford to give anyone the benefit of a doubt anymore. Especially not _beasts_ like her." The man remarked spitefully, referring to Nana. "And I'm sure the guards are going to say the same." He let go with a rough scowl, leaving Cooro to collapse into the wet soil with a splat.

The boy, his whole body trembling, finally scrabbled back to his feet – slowly coming back to his senses as the man carrying Nana disappeared in the late night shadows. He followed without a word.

* * *

Cooro sat in a wooden bedside chair, his gaze set blankly at the wall and a hand on his wounded cheek.

He took a small sip of water from a cup set nearby without ever looking down, desperate to get the taste of blood out of his mouth.

An uncomfortable haze still drifted in his mind.

It was _her_. She'd really come. He'd seen her right there in flesh in front of him. It all felt like a dream. One of those horrible nightmares he would wake up from where everything would be okay. But he knew that wasn't the case this time. This hadn't happened since…

He finally let his gaze fall, staring down at Nana as she rested unconsciously in her own bed.

He'd ruined everything for her.

It was early morning. The midnight storm had tired down to a brief drizzle, thin rays of sunlight starting to fight their way through the grayness of the dawn. A few birds started to chirp as the breeze slowly waned, busying about their nests cradled by the fruit tress.

Nana's simple life in the orchard would never be the same. He hadn't done a thing – not a thing! And yet he'd left one life dead and another in pieces.

It wasn't fair.

Cooro let out a sad, quiet sigh, still feeling dampness against the hand on his face even though he'd stopped noticing the tears a long time ago.

The person who'd carried Nana back home had left about twenty minutes before. Cooro had followed him back to the cottage silently, settling in front of Nana's bed as soon as they'd got arrived. The man hadn't looked too keen about leaving him there – a strange boy that had appeared out of nowhere sitting in front of her bedside. But in the end though, the grief-stricken merchant must have decided not to bother dealing with it. Cooro was relieved, he didn't want to be hassled, either, but he had to make sure that Nana was going to be alright. He could stay with her until the doctor came, at the very least. That was all he could do.

Now, though, he should probably leave. They would be arriving at any time, and it'd probably be best if he just upped and disappeared before anyone else actually got there.

He quietly pushed himself up and stopped at the door, his hand hesitating as it rested on the knob. He turned, taking one last look over at the sleeping girl. Even in the dimness of the old cottage, he could still see her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. At least she looked like she was going to be okay, none of her wounds looked terribly serious. More serious, though, was going to be the effect of having been caught at the crime scene in her +anima form.

Cooro subconsciously clenched a fist as his mind took of with that thought, knowing well all the implications it could lead too. There wasn't a thing he could do though, it was too late.

He – nothing but a misplaced memory from her past – had reappeared in her life for but a single night. But in that night he'd brought her grief, suspicion, injury, and possibly even the loss of her home, and now he was about to slip away back into the shadows of her memory without so much as a single word. His heart didn't feel right.

That last moment of hesitation was all it took – Nana's eyes slowly opened, as if sensing the stare. She let out a groan, stiffly glancing around the small cabin with obvious confusion written across her face.

"Cooro…?" She blinked up at the boy, falling into further bewilderment when she noticed him standing by his place at the doorway.

The boy didn't say anything when he caught her gaze, taken completely off-guard.

"Cooro…what – aagggh!" She interrupted herself with a sharp cry, a cold rush of pain shooting down her right side as attempted to sit up.

"Oh…!" She all at once remembered the injury, her breath catching in her throat as the events of the night flooded back to her. "Oh…oh no! Niomi… No, Niomi!"

A hand flew to her face as horror attacked her senses, water already beginning to drip from her eyes. "_Niomi!_"

Cooro visibly flinched at the raw sorrow in her voice.

The door was still there…but instead he found himself taking a few steps towards her bed, though his numb, trembling muscles wouldn't let him go any closer. "…Nana…" He spoke the name without even knowing what he was going to say next, trying to find some sort of strength is his own quavering voice. Unfortunately, though, it was nonexistent.

"Oh, Cooro! Niomi is dead! Niomi is dead!" The phrase rolled off her tongue several times; as if once that fact finally formed in her mind she was unable to control it. "No, no, no!" Her whole body wracked, suddenly giving into a horrible sob. She hunched over miserably as she wept, unable to stop the drops spilling down her face and dampening her already mudded clothes.

Cooro suddenly felt a sob rip through his own throat as well. It escaped his lips, tearing through the room as fresh droplets ran down to his neck. Watching her grieve in front of him, he was unable to hold back his own terrible cries. He couldn't stop the tears, watching them hit the oak floor below as his gaze fell to his feet. Whether he was crying for her or himself, he didn't know.

The boy never knew how long they stayed like that, but their wails were cut short when the door suddenly burst open behind him. Both him and Nana instinctively jerked their damp faces up, gazing up with watery eyes at the man that first stepped through the doorway.

He didn't look like a doctor.

He wore a dark blue outfit, assumedly a uniform, judging by the balance and unusualness of the design, as well as the neatness that only someone of a high status would have. Small plates of metal covered his arms and legs, another piece cleverly placed beneath the chest of his shirt. It was one of the village guards.

"It's…it's her!" The man's eyes opened wide, as did those of the two following cautiously behind him. "It's true, she is a +anima! Just like he said!"

"W…what?" Nana sputtered, her teary voice unsteady. In her grief and shock, it took her a moment to realize that she still remained in the +anima form she'd been knocked unconscious in.

The man plodded inside, nearly trampling over Cooro as he made for Nana's bedside. He shoved her against the mattress as she screeched in surprise.

_Oh no! How did they…did they see me earlier?_

She now realized that she didn't even know how she'd gotten back to the cabin. Somebody would have had to help her, but that meant…! She practically screamed in panic, beating her wings behind her as she struggled to free herself from the hold. "No! _No!_ Let me go! I didn't hurt anybody! Go after that damned black-winged witch! Leave me alone!"

The man suddenly yanked Nana up, suppressing her against his chest with a hand over her mouth. "Sorry, missy." The guard began, sounding anything but sorry. "You're coming into custody. I don't know whether you had to do with the murder or not, but we can't have a +anima running free in our village. You've already gotten away with it for far too long, it seems." He threw his head back towards the two back-up officials behind him. "You two, detain the boy! We don't know if he's a +anima or not, but either way he was with her at the crime sce–"

The word was cut short at the sound a shattering crash, the man suddenly losing his grip on Nana and crumbling to the floor with a few drops of red staining his light-brown hair. Splinters of glass sprayed across the room, along with the water it once contained as the cup broke into uncountable pieces after being smashed against the guards head. Cooro stumbled back, hardly able to believe what he'd just done. …But now was not the time to freeze up.

He snatched Nana's hand, dragging the shocked girl out of bed and right out the door of her cottage. He brushed right passed the other two startled guards, both calling after them only a moment later.

"Hurry, Nana!" Cooro called as he pulled the shaken, injured Nana behind him. "We have get out of here! It looks like the guards decided to arrest you after all when they heard you were a +anima!" Admittedly, the boy was a bit surprised. This was Astaria, not Sailand. But still, if this was the action the village had chosen to take, who was going to stop them?

"But…" Nana stuttered, feeling like she'd be crushed under the weight of everything happening at once. "Niomi… My home…"

"There's nothing we can do, even though you're innocent they wont let you live freely here anymore!" Cooro glanced back at her as he spoke, Nana's gaze meeting him right in the face. The wild, uncontrollable fear in his eyes was more potent than ever, but underneath it, she could see a vibrant, pure determination driving him along. He was right, their only option was to flee. "All…all right." She nodded reluctantly, picking up her own speed as best as she could with the slight limp on right side.

"Can you fly?" Cooro asked, looking in her direction again as she struggled to keep up. "I…I don't think so." She'd come down funny on her right wing as well after falling, a sharp pain running right down center of it. The boy turned towards the eastern direction of the woods surrounding the village, panting as he pushed his trembling legs as fast as they would go. "Then just keep running and don't stop! We'll try to lose them in the brush!" Nana managed to keep pace but didn't answer, throwing her gaze back behind her.

The familiar cottage on the orchard was but a still shape that was already all too far away, the last of the branches holding apples and peaches flying by over her head as she passed the most distant trees. She kept watching in that direction with an emptiness eating at her chest, staring through damp eyes until the place she'd called her home for the last eight years vanished over the crest of the hill.

_Will I ever see it again?_

* * *

_Well, that's that for now! _

_Anyway, stay-tuned, and like always, let me know what you think. _


	5. Chapter Four: The Toymaker's Village

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_All right, moving on to the fourth main chapter! Someone besides Nana and Cooro is going to get involved now, too... _

* * *

**Chapter Four: **The Toymaker's Village

* * *

The toymaker ran a cloth across the small wooden boat, whipping off the last wood shavings that remained. He smiled warmly, passing it down to the little boy waiting with big, eager eyes.

The child took it from the toymaker's rough but gentle hands, examining the module excitedly. It was a piece of oak carved into the image of a passenger freighter, highlighted with paint at the top and bottom. A grin came across the brown-haired boy's face. "Wow! Thank you, Senri!"

The toymaker just nodded.

"Yes, thank you, sir." The woman standing by the boy passed back ten gillah before taking the boy's hand. "Timothy, come on."

"Bye!" The boy called back happily. He waved as his mother lead him towards the door, the toy gripped firmly in his small hands. Senri returned the wave as they left the store, leaving him alone once more with the teddy bears and figures than lined the shelves, the empty bowls on the dinning table, and the scent of stew wafting from the kitchen.

"_Thank you, Senri!" Cooro looked up with bright eyes, grinning as he took the bowl from his older companion and dug into his share of the stew without delay. Husky passed him a brief disgusted look before taking a bowl as well. He said nothing – though Senri could see that he was just as happy for the food from the eagerness on his face. Nana came up last, taking her share with a smile. "It's been a while since we've had warm food, hasn't it? Thank you for going to all the trouble for us." Senri just smiled back, a comfortable warmth welling in his heart as he watched the three children gathered around the fire. _

Senri smiled again as the memory drifted through his mind, the faces of his former young companions appearing before him once more.

He'd felt completely empty after he'd found himself alone again, after he'd parted ways with the three children he'd grown so found of. He'd missed their laughter and their smiles, the sight of their bright, young eyes as they looked up at him so vibrant and full of life.

That was why he'd become a toymaker. Nothing made him feel more content than the excited, innocent smile of a child.

Throughout the past eight years, he'd become something of a guardian to many of the kids in the village. He wasn't really in it for the money, and charged little for the toys he made. And aside from just that, he offered shelter and warm food for any child that came to his store.

The village in which he made his residence was one divided sharply between the rich and the poor, the nobles and the less fortunate. For many children, a safe place to rest, fresh dinners, and toy boats were more than they or their families would ever have dared to hope for…which made their eyes even brighter and every grin that much more rewarding.

Senri picked up the breakfast dishes, heading back to the kitchen in the far room of the store that was also his home. He needed to clean things up a bit – more children would likely arrive as the morning gave way to the afternoon.

Just then there was a knock at the door, but it was not the kind, eager knock of a child – more like an angry, determined rap. Senri turned around, bewildered. He put the plates down as it came again, about to open the door himself when it suddenly burst open.

Two well-clad men stepped in, supported by a third that hovered by the entrance. They carried a chain in their hands, knives and hatchets at their belts. Senri's eyes opened wider, taking a few steps back as the village guards came towards him. "Freeze, +anima, or we won't hesitate to use force." They left him no time to react as they rushed him, tackling him to the ground. "We aren't taking anymore chances with your kind after what happened last night at the neighboring village – you're coming under our custody."

Senri felt a wild, panicked rage burst through his body, clouding his senses in red as he felt his +anima take form.

One of the men holding him down suddenly jumped back with a shriek, crimson spilling from a new gash across his chest. The other man stumbled away in alarm, frozen in fear as he saw Senri shove himself up, blood dripping from his clawed hand.

The man didn't retreat fast enough, screaming as Senri left a scrape down his side with a growl.

And then it was over, Senri fell to the floor, letting out his own painful wail as his hand flew to his shoulder. He toppled over where he stood, unconscious.

The two injured, shaken men looked up at their third companion, who stood with a blooded knife. "Did…did you?"

The man shook his head. "He'll survive – it was just his shoulder, but lets hurry and take him away before he wakes up… And to think such a beast got so close to the village children…"

* * *

Nana panted for breath as she took a cautious, shaky glance around, stepping into the village outskirts with legs that felt like lead. There was mud on her face and dress, twigs and thorns caught in her hair, and a splash of blood on her right cheek. It was late afternoon now, and she had no idea how long they'd been running.

They'd just kept on moving, never stopping or looking back, even when the voices behind them had faded away and been swallowed up by the brush.

All of her muscles and her whole left side still ached, her injuries from the night before burning and throbbing – she felt like her whole body was about to fall apart!

Cooro emerged from the trees behind her, his eyes as wide and wild as ever as his whole figure trembled. He almost didn't look human.

If it hadn't been for him, Nana would probably not have found the strength to escape capture. He'd led her on in her moment of shock and terror, but despite the vivid determination that had saved them both, he looked worse now than he had even when Nana had first discovered him in the orchard. The events of last night had certainly taken on toll on him.

_Last night…_

Nana shook her head as if to clear her thoughts as she felt a tear run down her face. No. They were still in danger, now was not the time to think about that. Any of it. For now, she should just let herself be numb.

"Come on." She beckoned Cooro forward. "It looks safe. I think they lost us this morning." The boy didn't even answer, following her slowly as they stepped out into the light of the cobble stone streets.

Sure, he'd been the one pushing her on at first, but once they'd lost the guards it seemed like she'd had to take over.

Nana watched his gaze dart back and forth, staring at the brick towers and houses of the village with those eyes of his.

She examined the area herself, watching smoke rise from the chimneys and people busily hurrying back and forth between the buildings. Lanterns lined the streets, sitting on black, ornate poles, and the brick the city was made out of all sported a pale tan. It almost looked more like a city than a village…and it was actually quite a beautiful place.

Nana had never been there much before, even though this village had neighbored the orchard. It was a long ways through the woods, and not a distance many were keen on walking… She groaned inwardly, the thought of that almost seeming to make her legs ache even worse. Above all else, they desperately needed somewhere safe to rest.

The two of them were heading towards what looked like the main market square, perhaps they could find an inn there.

But…what were they going to do about money…? She'd taken nothing when she'd left the orchard – she'd never had a chance too. But there they were now… a complete mess with no clean clothes, starving with no food, and about to collapse with nowhere to stay – and all without a single gillah.

She passed another glance back at Cooro, trying to sound hopeful. "Umm… you don't have any money on you by chance, do you?"

The boy stopped for a moment, shaking his head. "Uh…" He made a slight sound, but it caught in his throat before it became a word, as if he was only just realizing their plight. Any money he had brought with him from Taru's he'd left behind back at the cottage as well, in his old rain-soaked clothes.

"Damn it!" Nana was surprised at her own tongue, but she didn't bother to correct herself. That seemed completely unimportant right now, and any patience she'd originally had was completely used up. "What are we going to do? There's no way we can go back now, but without money we're completely helpless!"

Could they ask to stay with someone? She hated the idea, but what choice did they have? Or maybe they could ask an innkeeper for shelter in exchange for labor.

"Hey, Cooro…Taru wasn't going to come through here anytime soon, was he?" Nana didn't bother looking back this time, scanning the market square as they walked right into the middle of the hustle and bustle of the village. Well-dressed shoppers scurried by, exchanging gillah for all sorts of jewelry, pastries, and clothes at the stands and stores that bordered the center. They were easy to separate from the people walking by in rags, or the beggars huddling against the wall with nothing but sad eyes and a glass jar. "…No. He was gonna stay by the mountain base for quite a while." Cooro finally answered, piping up quietly behind her. The girl sighed inwardly, it was a long shot, but she thought she'd ask before they started having to beg as well. It would have been convenient, but unfortunately Taru wasn't coming, and she certainly didn't know anyone in this village. Cooro didn't seem to, either.

"But…" The boy started again rather hesitantly. This time Nana turned around, curious. "Huh?" "…This is the place where I heard those rumors…about the toymaker named Senri…" The girl didn't say anything, her face showing her surprise. "I…I don't know if it's really him or not." Cooro sputtered quickly. "But…if it was, maybe he wouldn't mind if…"

"Oh, are you talking about that toymaker, Senri?" An unknown voice interrupted, butting right into their conversation. Nana and Cooro both jerked their gazes over at the well-dressed woman that approached. She had her nose in the air, as if disgusted by the mere sight of them. "Haven't you heard about what happened this morning?" "Uh…" Nana just shook her head.

"The beast was finally arrested. And about time, too! I always thought the people that let their children go to a +anima were crazy." "What? He was a +anima?" Nana burst out, her eyes widening. The woman nodded. "Indeed, it was no secret either. I'm amazed they let him just go on working here so long. They said he even attacked the guards this morning when they came!"

"Wait! What was he arrested for?" Nana pressured further, determined to get as much information out of the woman as she could. "Well, him being a +anima was reason enough, but what finally got the guards to make the arrest was when a couple of officials from the neighboring village arrived early this morning. They said that a rouge +anima, involved in a murder, and her companion were headed this way, and to keep an eye out for them. That did it for them though – hearing about those crimes. They've taken every +anima in the village into custody. It was quite a ruckus, but still, what a relief!" Nana tensed, passing a startled, alarmed glance at Cooro.

"Where's his house, the toymaker's?" The boy suddenly asked, stepping forward before the villager could say anymore. "He lived in his shop, it's just straight ahead towards the end of the street." The woman replied; she pulled her arms tighter to her chest as he walked closer, as if afraid that he might accidently touch her. "I suppose he was quite an asset to _beggars_." She spoke the word with obvious directed disgust, glaring at the mud covering the rags the two wore. "But like I already said – he's gone now, so don't even bother!"

And with that, she strutted off, leaving Nana and Cooro to share a glance that was somewhere between fear, amazement, and bewilderment.

* * *

The door slowly creaked open, shedding a ray of sunshine into the mostly windowless room. Two faces peeked in, scanning the small, empty building.

"Cooro…the toymaker, do you really think he could be…?" Nana's voice came out quietly as she stepped inside, though she wasn't quite sure why she was whispering. Her eyes fell on the dolls, puppets, and figurines that lined the shelves, their beady little eyes dotting their faces. She felt slightly uneasy, like they were glaring down at them – the uninvited visitors. It was amazing though, she'd never seen so many toys in one place before!

"…I don't know." Cooro finally answered, gazing around with wide eyes as well. "But, either way…it's an empty building…"

The girl nodded. "You're right… There's probably food and clothes here, too…" The idea of taking over someone else's home in their absence made her more than a little uncomfortable, but with the village guards on the lookout for them, this was probably their safest bet. Besides, she didn't think she could take another step!

* * *

Evening came fast once they had collapsed on the padded chairs that sat in the corner of the shop. Nana still rested there, her eyes closed as she let her injured leg lay stretched out across the floor. She was dressed in clothes that were too large but without mud stains, an empty bowl in her hands. The girl wasn't quite asleep, not able to relax herself completely in the strange surroundings, but she couldn't recall a time when simply lying down had felt so good.

They'd found a pot of stew left abandoned in the kitchen. It was cold, but still fresh enough to eat – to someone who had been running all day without a single bite of anything, it was delicious! The two of them had also made use of the closest in what appeared to be the bedroom. Taking someone's clothes right off the hanger wasn't much different from stealing, but they'd been desperate to get into something clean and dry…even if the cloth was baggy and far too big for either of them.

Cooro had gotten back up after eating, pacing restlessly around the shop and poking at the toys and trinkets along the walls. But his attention wasn't on any of it.

The boy didn't know what he was going to do. If he stayed there, with Nana, he would be putting her in danger again. Would that black-winged witch reappear? For the third night in a row?

He hated the increasing dimness, the sight of the evening's last light slowly trickling away. A lead weight hung heavily on his heart as the day gave way to darkness once again, leaving him with nothing but a lingering sense of fear and dread. It'd been this way every night for the past three years. He never knew which nights would peacefully turn back to dawn, or in which ones _she'd_ appear. And after the events of yesterday, he felt more afraid than ever… And more guilty. It still felt like a dream…all of it.

He couldn't stop his hands from trembling, unable to hold his body and pounding heart still.

…Maybe it would be best if he slept in the alleyway tonight.

A particular teddy bear caught his anxious eye. He'd wandered into the bedroom, and it sat by itself, alone on the bedside dresser.

He walked over distractedly and ran his fingers across the soft material. It looked…lonely.

The boy picked it up, mindlessly studying the careful stitching and the eyes made of black beads. It was when his gaze fell on something that had been hidden underneath it that he froze.

A small book rested on the table, the sight of it oddly familiar. He blinked, before carefully setting the bear down and taking the notebook in his hands without ever lifting it.

Cooro delicately flipped through the pages, the edges yellowed and crinkled with age. Dried flowers were wedged between the paper – daffodil, clover, weed. He bit his bottom lip, the rate of his heartbeat suddenly changing and his eyes widening as he continued to find the flowers decorating the inside of the book. …_Could it be…?_

And then he stopped…on one particular page. He stared blankly down for a moment, a strange whimper escaping his mouth as he wrapped his fingers around the object, lifting it from the leaves of paper. It was a black feather.

A tear ran down his left cheek, dripping down his neck and dampening his shoulder. A shiver shot up his spine, sending a tingling sensation through his whole body. "…Nana. Nana! Come look!"

"What?" The girl groaned from the living room, startled, and obviously annoyed have having been disturbed. "Come look!" Cooro repeated, calling again. Nana let out an exasperated sigh as she got to her feet, but still, something in his voice drove her cautiously into the bedroom.

She came to a sudden halt as she padded up behind the boy, a gasp catching in her own throat when she saw what he was looking at.

Nana recognized the small notebook instantly, and realized right away just what the black feather was that Cooro was holding. "…That book. …That's…"

She took a startled step back. "Senri…" The name escaped her lips after a pause, coming out in a single breath. The toymaker…he really was…!

Cooro carefully put away the feather that he knew was his, and closed the book, turning his slightly dampened eyes to hers. "He's been captured…" He started dryly. "He was arrested because of what happened at your village last night, because we fled to this city…" The boy was restating what they already knew, but knowing the identity of the toymaker for sure gave the fact a whole new gravity.

_It's my fault, too._

Cooro withheld the last part of the sentence, but another salty drop of water still dribbled down his face all the same as he suppressed a sob.

"Oh…oh no. Senri… And to think, he was here all this time…and I never even knew…" Nana's head hung down towards her feet, still in a mild state of shock. There was a pause, both of their eyes somewhere distant. "What do you think is…going to happen to him?" The girl wondered aloud, her voice quiet.

Cooro didn't meet her gaze. "I…I don't know…" He answered honestly. "I don't know…"

His voice trailed off as another tear obscured his vision. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, gently pushing the book back under the teddy bear.

* * *

The boy woke when the first strands of sunlight hit his face, signaling the crest of dawn. He opened his eyes with a tired yawn, taking a glance around at the surrounding brick and stone – dimly illuminated in the new morning's light.

Cooro had gone to sleep in the back alleys after all.

He'd left without saying anything, sneaking out after Nana had fallen asleep in the living room of the toy shop. It wasn't anything he wasn't used to – there were times when he'd lived without a home for months. As long as the weather was decent – and thankfully the recent storm had completely receded – it wasn't anything major.

The boy sat up stiffly, his limbs rigid from the autumn chill that still lingered in the air. The slight dampness covering his face and clothes suggested that it had drizzled at some point during the night. He got up with shaky legs – storm or not, it'd been colder than he expected, and he was having hard time stopping himself from shivering.

He glanced down the alley, trying to recall exactly which direction he'd originally come from. He knew he should hurry back, before Nana woke up.

She was probably still asleep, considering how much dimmer it was inside the shop as opposed to outside in the city, but he didn't want to take any chances. He didn't want her to know he'd ever left, or more specifically, didn't want her wondering why he'd given up the warmth of the house for cold back alleys of the village – it wasn't something he was keen on explaining.

After shaking off the remaining drowsiness as best he could and getting his bearings, Cooro headed back in the direction of the main market square, needing to pass through it again on the way to the toy shop.

Even at such an early hour, there were already people out and about. Business owners and merchants rushed to prepare their wares for the day ahead, the beggars were back at their usual positions, and a few busybodies were already talking away the morning, or waiting to be the first in line when the shops opened their doors.

Cooro hurried past them all without any particular notice, until the words of one small child caught his ear.

"Mommy, why don't we just go get breakfast at Senri's today?"

"…I told you before sweetheart, I'm afraid that he left."

"Well, when's he coming back?"

"I don't know honey…"

Cooro stopped and turned towards the voices, curiously listening in on the young boy's conversation with his mother. They were both dressed in poor clothes, suggesting that they weren't in the category of the well-off. The child, about five or six, didn't answer that time, looking disappointed and a bit confused. The woman put a reassuring hand on her son's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll buy something good to eat at the market here. Go ahead and play now, I'll bring you something as soon as these shops open." The boy just gave a slightly bewildered nod before running off to join a girl a few feet away. Cooro was about to keep going himself when another woman suddenly came up behind the mother, approaching as her son scurried away.

"It's awful, isn't it?" The mother turned to face the woman as she approached with a friendly smile. She was dressed in similar clothing, meaning that she probably wasn't much better off as far as money was concerned. "You mean about Senri?" The other woman nodded, her eyes darkening. "Did you hear…what they were talking about late last evening?" "Yeah…" The first woman answered, her face downcast. "About the execution?"

Cooro's stomach suddenly leapt into chest. _…Execution?_

"It so terribly cruel and unfair!" The second villager burst out unexpectedly, her voice filled with a surprising rage. "He may be a +anima, and he may have attacked the guards, but that was self-defense! He's never hurt anyone before! I let my twins go to his shop all the time – I always considered it one of the safest places for them to be! Just because he's a +anima doesn't mean he's a threat that can be disposed of at will! That they can just_ kill_ him for no reason, without any trial or anything!" The first woman never looked up. "I know Jennifer, he was always so good to Michel, but there's nothing we can do. Who's going to stop them? He only has until noon tomorrow…"

"Nana!" Cooro abruptly took off without listening to the rest, a bolt of panic suddenly hitting him in the heart.

_Senri! No…_

* * *

Nana padded restlessly back and forth across the main room, her eyes never leaving the door.

What should she do now? Should she go look for Cooro?

She hadn't slept well at all the night before, and had woken up just before dawn, while the sky was still dark. The first thing she'd realized was that she was alone.

Where the heck _was_ that boy?

Taru's words drifted back into her mind – a tendency to up and disappear, huh? He hadn't just left, had he? She just shrugged inwardly. With the odd way he'd been acting, who knew what he was up to. She didn't even know why she cared so much.

It still felt surreal.

Just the day before she'd been safe and peaceful in her cottage on the orchard, settled into a predictable but secure life to which she'd spent the last eight years getting accustomed. And now here she was, waiting for Cooro to turn up in Senri's empty house. It almost felt like she'd fallen into some strange, warped version of the past. She still couldn't describe how odd it had been when she'd seen Cooro again for that first time – that face that had long since become nothing but a still picture in her memory.

Nana plopped back down into the same chair she'd slept in with a strange, distant sigh. Oh well, if she was going to wait for him, she may as well just try to rest. Her injuries had never been properly bandaged and still ached, and what else was there to do, anyway? Even if he didn't come back, or if she decided not to bother waiting, she had no idea what she was going to do next. There was no way she could go back to her home.

Her face still felt sticky and damp – she'd been crying earlier that morning, and off and on through the whole night. When she'd woken up the first time, she hadn't even realized where she was…and when she did, all that'd come was tears. Now all she felt was just a dull, exhausted pain. In just one night it was gone, all of it. Niomi, the person she'd looked up to like a mother, was dead. The village where she'd lived for years had tried to arrest her. She had no home anymore.

"_Stay safe and warm tonight, Nana." _The last words she'd heard from Niomi echoed in her mind. Even now, she could still hear the rain beating down on the roof top, and see the scarlet sky hanging above them. She could still feel the merchant's firm hand resting on her shoulder and see her rough but warm eyes, her stern smile. And above all, she could hear her own voice, as she spoke the final words she'd ever say to the woman who'd helped her grow up. Word's that turned out to be completely untrue. _"…You too, Niomi."_

A single tear ran down Nana's face, even though she'd thought she'd had none left.

She didn't want to be alone. As if her loss might suddenly envelop and crush her if there was no one else to distract her from the empty, hollow throb in her heart.

Even though it'd happened just yesterday, the events of that actual, dreaded night were hazy. All she could clearly recall was the sight of Niomi lying in a red, limp heap on the floor, the sneer on the killer's face, and the absolute horror in Cooro's eyes. That was all.

There was just one brief, nagging thing irritating her at the edges of her senses. Had it been her imagination, or had the murderer acted a bit odd around Cooro? She wished she could remember more, but everything specific was smeared and muffled. Even thinking about that was more recalling a feeling she'd had at the time rather than an actual memory.

She didn't want to ask him about it, though. After all, he'd helped her escape. And besides…the terror he'd shown should've proved that he had nothing to do with it.

…What was she even thinking? This was _Cooro_. The wide-eyed innocent she remembered from her childhood. Even with the strange way he'd been acting since she'd meet him again, there was no possible way he'd ever associate with anyone like that.

She sighed, this time a slight moan escaping from her lips as she closed her eyes and shuffled in the chair, trying to get as comfortable as possible.

"Nana!"

The door swung open right on cue, the boy himself appearing in the doorway. Nana's eyes burst open as she practically jumped to her feet. "Cooro! Why did you leave? Where the heck were you?" She didn't even bother disguising the impatient anger in her voice.

A momentary look of surprise came over the boy when he saw her standing there, already awake, though he never directly answered the question. "Nana!" He stuttered again, still trying to catch his breath from running all the way back. "_What?_" The girl snapped back. She was about to demand an explanation, but stopped when she suddenly noticed the look of panic on his face.

"Nana! It's Senri!" The boy started urgently. "I heard people talking; he's going to be _killed_!" Nana's own eyes widened. "What? What are you talking about?"

"That's what they were saying at the market!" Cooro explained breathlessly. "They're executing him tomorrow at noon! They're going to _kill_ him Nana!" He was practically in tears.

The girl said nothing for a moment, letting the shock dim as she tried to let his words sink in.

_Senri…_

Even though Cooro was once again alive to her, regardless of whether the boy standing at the doorway actually matched the image of the child in her mind, the memory of their oldest companion still didn't seem like much more than a dream.

There she was, making herself at home in his house and even wearing his clothes, and she still felt detached. Her eyes, though, automatically wandered over towards the bedroom, where the familiar notebook lay hidden on the dresser. She'd shed a tear when she'd first seen it.

Somewhere, in some long forgotten place in her heart, it only felt like yesterday that they'd all been together.

"We have to do something! We have to stop them!" Cooro continued, the wild light in his eyes blazing, albeit with that same determination she'd seen for the first time the night before. There wasn't a single sliver doubt in his voice.

He was right. Even if it was eight years ago, she couldn't just let an old friend die. She didn't know what they could do, but one thing they couldn't do was just sit back and watch. Who else would even try?

The beginnings of a strange, but resolute smile played across her lips. "All right."

* * *

_We'll leave it off there for now - stay tuned for the upcoming struggle!_


	6. Chapter Five: Escape

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_Yay, +Anima has its own category now! (Well, that's not that new of news anymore, but it's still neat!) Moving on to the fifth full chapter! …I'm just going to note that is installment is quite long, about the same length of Chapter 1. …Lots of stuff happens here._

* * *

**Chapter Five: **Escape

* * *

It wasn't quite dark yet, a pale yellow still lighting the sky as evening slowly made its way in.

The station where the village guards made their work and kept their prisoners hadn't been hard to find, towering over the other small buildings in the north end of the city. It was right at the edge of the last street, at the place where the cobble stone gave way to brush and soil. There were smaller stations in each area of the village, but this one in the north was the headquarters.

It was quite an intimidating sight, made from thick and fine premium colored stone, and bordered on all sides by constantly lighted lanterns; it looked no less grandeur than the rest of the village. There looked to be three stories total, though it was hard to tell from the outside – a main entrance level where the public was allowed, an upper floor which was probably used for trials and private meetings, and a basement where the prisoners were probably kept…

The building was also surrounded by guards, men dressed in protective but expensive looking dark-blue attire and armed with chains, knives, and even bows and arrows. They paced around the station, their bored faces not quite matching the impressiveness of the uniform. Nevertheless, they also bore a look to their eyes that told they did take their job seriously, even if they found it a bit dull. They went about business as usual, blissfully unaware of the two sets of eyes watching from a nearby café.

Nana winced as a ray from the slowly setting sun caught the steel of their knives…their weapons weren't at all pleasant to look at. She suppressed a gulp in her throat, trying to keep her hands from shaking. Nightfall was constantly coming closer.

What were they doing? This was crazy!

The two of them had decided to sneak inside the building after dark. Nana would fly through one of the windows, stun any guards she ran into with her screech, and try to find the keys to the prison cells and let Cooro in through the locked front door from the inside, then they'd go look for Senri together. If they could, they'd release the other +anima while they were at it.

Nana spared a quick glance over at the boy. He was trembling, his gaze set to floor. He'd hardly moved at all over the last couple hours. Aside from the shaking, the only motion he gave was an occasional muscle twitch. Despite the fact that he'd been the one to talk her into this whole thing, he looked even more tense than she was.

The girl let out a weary, inward sigh. She was getting really tired of dealing with him. In a way, she half wished she was doing this on her own.

Her wings, screech, sharp hearing, and ability to find her way around in the dark would all be invaluable in an escapade like this, but now the former crow +anima was just a normal person. A scared, somewhat unpredictable normal person. She bit her bottom lip.

"Hey…Nana…" Cooro started slowly, his eyes never looking up. Nana straightened, brought out of her thoughts. She was surprised, this was the first he'd uttered so much as a sound since lunch. "Do you think…that Senri will recognize us?"

She blinked without answering, taken aback by the question. "I…I mean…" Cooro sputtered. "With…you know…his memory… What if he doesn't even know who we are anymore?"

Nana felt a brief pang of guilt, realizing that there was more to what was troubling the boy than just his simple, ever present fear. She didn't really know what to say. She hadn't thought about it much herself, actually, she'd kind of forgotten about the bear +anima's hazy memory.

"Well, if he doesn't, he doesn't." She said simply, trying not to sound harsh. Nana wanted to help Senri, sure, but she could tell that her emotion wasn't quite as raw as her companion's. The boy would be really hurt if their old friend had indeed forgotten them, she could see that just by looking at him. She desperately hoped that Senri would remember – she still didn't understand quite what was wrong with Cooro, but she knew that that was the last thing he needed. "Either way, I'm sure he'll still come with us." She added. "Even if he doesn't know who we are, I seriously doubt he'd prefer to be left on death row." Cooro just nodded dryly.

The boy turned, watching through the window's glass as the sky began to turn red. Unfortunately, all of the guards took shifts each night, guarding the station from the inside. And they could be sure they'd be keeping an extra close eye on the prison…especially with an execution coming up tomorrow. Nana shivered, picturing those knifes again.

"…Do you really think we'll be able to save him?" Cooro's voice was quiet as he piped up again, his eyes somewhere distant.

Nana forced a smile across her face. "Oh, come on, of course we will! I am the 'Phantom Thief', remember?" Cooro blinked, turning to her with a surprised look. The beginnings of grin appeared on his lips, a brightness coming to his eyes as he suppressed a slight laugh. "…But you got caught that last time, remember?" He spoke the words more playfully than gloomily; referring to the time she'd tried to sneak into Igneous' camp during the night only to be dragged back in the morning by the general himself. She gave a mock frown. "Pfft. Who cares about the details?" She reached across the table, giving him a slight, good-humored shove. "The only reason I got caught anyway was because I was trying to get that hatchet for you!" The boy giggled, almost falling out of his chair as he leaned away. "Hey, don't go blaming me for that – I never asked you to!" He gave a teasing push back. "You were just trying to show off!" She found herself laughing too, her face still turning red with embarrassment at the far off memory.

They settled back into their seats as they started attracting a few stares – the last thing they wanted was unneeded attention. They passed each other one more grin, still lost in the past for just that one moment. Nana felt an odd, familiar warmth flow through her, calming some of her nervous tension. That was the first time she'd seen Cooro's eyes that bright in, well…eight years.

He broke the stare first though, his gaze slowly falling downcast once more, even though the traces of a slight, bittersweet smile remained on his lips. Nana's smile turned bittersweet too, her eyes getting lost somewhere distant as she reached down and grabbed the bag by her feet. "Here, go put this on." She quieted her voice as she tossed him the bundle of clothes, though still trying to sound confident. He caught them clumsily, bending down to retrieve a sock that'd fallen on the dirty floor.

They'd taken everything they'd needed before they'd left Senri's toyshop. There would be no going back – they'd be village criminals, all three of them, at the end of the night. They'd grabbed his money, a little bit of extra food for emergency rations, blankets, and clothes. The two of them had left late that afternoon, and had stopped at the nearby café after having found the prison. It was a place where they could bide their time until dark, while still being able to keep an eye on what was going on at the station.

The two of them had also bought a late lunch…with Senri's money, of course… Oh well, it couldn't be helped. They were going through all this for him, anyway. It was starting to get dark now, though, and they needed to get ready before the restaurant closed.

She'd dug around before they'd left the shop, looking for anything black. There'd been a few pieces of dark clothes in Senri's closet…and a few more in a section of the shop reserved for children's costumes. None of the clothes would fit right – some pieces too large and some too small – but it was important that they not stand out during the nighttime darkness. She took her own black outfit out of the bag, both of them heading back to change.

* * *

The sky was much clearer that night than it had been the past couple of days, and perfectly dry, even though the autumn chill was as cold ever. The moon was big and swelled, almost full. It's crisp light cast pale shadows across the faces of the two black-clad figures scurrying by, heading to the side of the prison.

Nana came to a halt at the left wall of the building, looking up at a nearby window. It was closed, and she guessed that she might have to break the window to get inside. She figured that the guards were probably lingering by the prison entrance, and so it might be wiser to go in through the top story if she was going to have to make a racket – she didn't want to disturb them if at all possible, especially not right from the get-go.

"I'll go in from the top level, through here." She decided aloud. "Cooro, you wait here by the edge of this wall, that way you can hear if the door opens. Make sure you stay in shadows, and try not to let anyone see you! I'll get down and let you in as soon as I can."

"…All right…" He answered hesitantly, not liking either being left alone, or the idea of her going in by herself. "…Be careful." "I will." Nana nodded reassuringly as her bat wings sprouted from her back. And with that she took to the air, trying to beat her wings as quietly and smoothly as she could.

Cooro was left on the ground, watching her leave with nervous, almost regretful, eyes. He felt like a complete liability, having to wait to be let inside.

_Maybe I should've just… No… No. I couldn't. What am I thinking? That'd just be a disaster! It wouldn't be worth it…_

He sighed, glancing around shakily as an owl hooted from the woods nearby.

No. He'd just have to wait.

* * *

Nana groaned as she pulled her hands away from the window. As she suspected, it was locked, and it wasn't budging. She backed up a bit, wincing as she gave the window a good kick with her boot. Glass went flying, crystalline shards showering both the inside of the building and the ground far beneath her feet. She opened her eyes, peering into the new, jagged hole. It was open, and thankfully, no one seemed to have heard the noise.

She landed gingerly on the windowsill, using her wings to leap through the small, sharp opening as quietly and carefully as she could. There she was in.

The girl remained in her +anima form, using her sonar to take a look around the nearly pitch black room. Judging from the sound picture in her head, it seemed to be a simple conference area. A large, long table sat in the middle with chairs pushed in around it, and other than that and a few decorative statues here and there, the room was pretty much empty.

Nana padded gingerly towards the door, careful not to bump into anything. She opened it with caution, taking another good look before stepping through. It seemed quiet which was a good sign, and all that she could find outside the room was a big hallway, lined with several doors. She walked fully out, checking the width of the walls. It was wide enough, good. She spread her wings and flew quietly down the hall, feeling more comfortable with a muffled beating behind her as opposed to echoing footsteps. The stairs weren't hard to find, right in the middle of the hallway. She flew down the spiral stairway, coming to an abrupt halt as she suddenly heard voices.

A door creaked open and closed with a thud. "How was it down there?" A male voice asked. "Bad." Another answered. "Some of those +anima are still screaming, and others are just completely listless. We can't have them dying until we figure out what we're going to do with them, so I tossed them all some food…except for that one of course, the one going to be killed tomorrow… Is there any news on that, anyway – what we're supposed to do with the others?" "No." The first voice answered. "Not yet. There's going to be a huge conference about it next week. All the nearby villages have followed our example – the +anima are slowly being taken into custody all through the country. Representatives from the whole of Astaria will be at the meeting."

Nana suppressed a gasp at what the man was saying; using her bat ears to listen intently from around the edge of the staircase.

_All through the country…_

An aching panic started to well in her heart, sending a cold chill up her spine. But then…where would they…?

Nearby laughter suddenly shook her out of her shock, the men having come closer without her noticing. This time she stumbled slightly as she shuffled away, accidently bumping the wall with her wings and tumbling with a thud down the last couple of steps. "Huh? What?" The two guards instantly rushed around the corner.

They stopped with mouths agape, staring with wide-eyes at the bat-winged girl on the floor. "It…it's a…!"

Nana reacted quickly, letting out a screech that sent the two men to floor with a moan.

She practically jumped to her feet, using her sonar to quickly search for the keys.

If that man had just come from the basement, he should have had the ones for the cells, and indeed, she picked up the signal for them in his pocket. She dug through with frantic, shaky hands, grabbing the keys and taking off in the direction she figured the front door was in – she had no idea how many other guards were around, or whether they'd heard the ruckus or not.

* * *

Cooro still stood by the wall, listening intently and sparing frequent glances over at the door as he waited anxiously for any sign of it opening. He wondered how Nana was doing.

It was late that night now, and everything was perfectly quiet, save for a couple of owls a ways of in the woods, the dog that kept barking from somewhere in the middle of the city, and the rats that sometimes scurried by – enjoying the garbage left to rot in the dumpster on the other side of the street. Occasionally a fight would break out between them over a moldy old apple core or piece of cheese, sending eerie squeals and wails out into the silence of the alleyways.

Cooro shuffled position, trying to keep himself from shaking so badly. He knew it would be best to stay as still as possible to avoid getting noticed, but being so uneasy made it hard not to fidget. There was no one around, anyway.

A sharp, but brief, rush of pain suddenly burned in his shoulders, running down his arms. He let out a startled gasp, momentarily stumbling over himself. He panted with wide-eyes, staying hunched over for a moment with his palm supporting his weight on the cold, filthy stone of the street.

He gave a frantic, shocked look around as he got back up straight. But there was nothing. Just silence and a few screeching rats. Maybe he'd just imagined it…?

Cooro jumped at the sudden sound of a door creaking open, taking a moment for his heart rate to slow down before he remembered to look over in the direction of the station entrance.

Sure enough, Nana was carefully peering out from the formerly locked opening, beckoning him over.

"Nana!" He smiled in relief, quickly but cautiously running up to where she waited by the entrance.

"Come on!" She prompted quietly as she held the door open. "We have to hurry! I don't know where the other guards are, but I already have the keys!"

"Already? That was fast!" Cooro remarked, obviously impressed. "Yep." She gave him a quick wink, amused by his amazement. "Stick close to me, it gets dark further inside and it's hard to see." She grabbed his hand and hurried off, not allowing anymore time to linger.

Nana led on in the direction she thought she'd heard the first voice come from earlier – it sounded like he'd come right from where the prisoners were kept, which indeed seemed to be the basement.

They passed the stair base where the unconscious guards still lay – hopefully they'd stay that way for just a bit longer. Nana came to a sudden halt as they turned the corner…they'd come to another hallway. There was an indent in the middle – a large, thick door covering that area of the wall. That had to be it!

She let go of Cooro's hand, running up to investigate the entrance. The stairs down to the basement were probably right on the other side of that door, but…how did it open? Cooro came running up, too. In that section of the hallway, light still trickled in from the big window where the upward staircase was in the main room – he could still see, even if not particularly well.

Nana placed her hand on an odd, steel lever to the side of the looming door, pushing down on the stiff metal with a burst of strength. Chains rattled as the thick wooden entrance lifted all the way up, nothing visible on the other side but blackness. Yes, that was the way downstairs! The door slammed shut as soon as she let go, both Cooro and Nana flinching at the loud thud.

"How are we going to get inside if it doesn't stay open?" Cooro asked, having watched what she did with the lever. "They must have this here to keep prisoners from being able to get out from the inside…" Nana remarked thoughtfully. "But…that means the guards can't open it from the basement, either. They must have someone stay to let them out." That explained the two guards earlier. "One of us…is going to have to stay here by the door."

Neither of them said anything for a moment, giving each other a concerned stare at the realization. Cooro was the first to speak. "I…guess that means I'll just be waiting here, again." He said simply. "Huh?" Nana gave him a look. "It's too dark in there; I wouldn't be able to find my way around." He pointed out. She blinked. He was right, but… "But you can't just stay out here by yourself!" She argued. "What if more guards come? At least I can stun them, but you… There must be a lantern around here, or something – the guards have to have a way to get around down there too!" She scanned the walls, hoping to see some kind of torch, but no, there weren't any. The guards must get them from somewhere else, but unfortunately they didn't have time to go searching for them.

"It's all right." Cooro assured, trying to sound confident. "I'll stay really quiet – there don't seem to be all that many around."

Nana didn't answer, still hoping to suddenly see a lantern or something. She didn't like this idea. At all.

Not only was she concerned for Cooro – who was defenseless except for a simple kitchen knife they'd taken from the toyshop, and so frail that he wouldn't stand a chance against anyone who attacked him – but, more selfishly, for herself too. _If_ something happened to him while she was down there, which wasn't all that impossible, she'd be completely stuck with no escape.

And besides…with the strange, paranoid way he'd been acting, how did she really know he'd still be there when she got back? What if he suddenly just freaked and took off, or did another disappearing act? And even if he _had_ still been the same as he was all those eight years ago…well, she still wasn't so sure she'd trust him with this something like this then, either.

Cooro must have noticed the uncertainty in her expression, as he frowned slightly before forcing a smile. "Come on. Don't worry about it. I'll still be here – I swear!"

She wasn't convinced. "Do you mean it? No matter what happens?"

"Yeah, no matter what happens. I won't let you get stuck down there!"

"…You promise?"

"I promise!"

"All right…" Nana agreed with an apprehensive, inward sigh. What other option was there? He had, after all, stayed right where he was supposed to before she got the front door of the station opened. The area where the cells were was probably lit up so the people kept inside could eat, but the basement itself was likely just as large as the other floors, and judging from the entrance, completely black – there was no way he'd be able to find where the prisoners were held without being able to see.

If she was really going to do this, though, she needed to hurry. The longer it took to get down there, the more likely it would be that guards would show up before she got back.

"Open up the door for me and I'll head down." She announced decisively. "Stay right by the lever and be perfectly quiet. If guards do come, call for me and open the entrance right away! I'll come running!" "Right." Cooro acknowledged, giving the lever a push. The gaping downward hole opened once again as the gears creaked and groaned. Nana walked forward reluctantly. "I'll hurry." The boy nodded as he watched her leave. "Okay."

The bat +anima stepped onto the first couple of steps, looking back as the door slammed shut from behind and swallowed her in darkness.

With her sonar, she could see that the door was completely barred on the backside as well, and all the walls were made in grimy, unwashed stone.

She'd done it now!

It was a good thing she'd helped Cooro inside, after all, though – otherwise there would've been no way for her to get down there herself…but she needed to finish what she'd come to do quickly! The faster she got out of there, the better!

Nana walked forward down the stairs, trying to keep the increasing of uneasiness from sinking in. Even with the sound pictures in her head, it was still strange to be surrounded by walls and yet have her eyes see nothing…she may as well have been blind.

As she'd suspected, the entrance opened up into several hallways, all of which were crowded with doors. Taking a good look around with her sonar, she headed left – the direction that seemed to be the main hall. And at the next fork she took a right, followed by a second right, abruptly coming to a stop when she finally noticed an out of place sliver of light coming from underneath one of doors. She opened it carefully with a squint, the dim glow coming from the torches on the wall irritating her vision momentarily. She let out a gasp, her hand flying to her mouth as her sight adjusted.

There were dozens of eyes staring at her, all with surprised looks on their otherwise miserable faces.

The people in the cells ranged through all ages – men, women, young boys and girls. There was probably about fifteen, maybe even twenty, of them. These had to be the rest of the captured +anima from the village.

"Who's that?" "She's not one of the guards!" They whispered to each other as she stepped inside, all of them gazing over her wings. "She has bat wings! She's a +anima too!" "But she's on the outside!" "Is she here to rescue us?"

She met their gazes wide-eyed, horrified by the scene before her. It was terrible, so many innocent people – even children – all crammed together in those small cells. The stench was awful, and all the prisoners were dressed in dirty, ratty clothes, with nothing left of the small bit of food the man had brought them earlier but empty plates.

"Hey miss!" One boy called over, leaning against the bars of his prison. "You're a +anima too! Are you gonna let us out?" "C'mon, please?" A young girl about the same age begged. "I want to go home to Mommy!"

Nana just nodded, still practically in shock. She thought she might find one or two other +anima held captive down there, but she would never have expected so many!

"Uh…" She sputtered at first as she straightened herself, trying to look confident. "I…I have the keys to the cells." She announced loud enough for them all to hear. "Everyone who's a +anima, transform now – I'll let you out!" She needed to make sure she wasn't about to release any real criminals.

The people in the cells looked at each other, and then to her, suddenly sprouting an odd assortment of ears, tails, claws, and wings. Every single one of them transformed, leaving Nana to watch in astonishment – so many of them, all held together!

She rushed forward after a brief pause to the first cell. The +anima crowded the cell doors, waiting eagerly as she fiddled with the locks. The door creaked open and she moved on to the next. The prisoners came out cautiously, unsure of where to go next.

Nana gazed around as the last door opened and all the +anima gathered in the center of the room. It was then that she noticed something… Where was Senri?

"Umm…" She wondered aloud. "Where's the +anima that was going to be executed tomorrow?"

A woman with a skunk tail and graying hair looked over to her, pointing to another door at the end of the hall. It was made of the same material as the wall – she hadn't even noticed it. "The toymaker, Senri? They took him away and put him in there! Please, save him, too!" Nana nodded. "I will."

She paused briefly, thinking for a moment. She would have told them all how to get to the exit and have Cooro open the door for them, but in a big herd like that, it wasn't likely that they'd go unnoticed. Even if _they_ got away, Cooro could well end up being left with a bunch of panicked guards as they escaped. No, she should have them all wait.

"Everyone, please wait here. I'll be right back and then I'll lead you all out of here." She turned and headed to the other door – shoving the stiff entrance open and stepping inside yet another, even smaller room as the freed +anima nodded and whispered restlessly amongst themselves in the prison hall.

The tiny, hidden room was lit by only a single torch at the end of the hall, just two cells lining its walls. She glanced around cautiously, not knowing what to expect.

Her breath caught in throat as she noticed a single figure in the dim light.

It was a man who looked to be somewhere in his early twenties, with gray, beaded hair. He sat alone, hunched over with his eyes set blankly to the ground of the left cell. Nana took a step closer, and he looked up at the sound of her footsteps. She recognized him instantly.

"Senri!"

All the distance she'd felt seemed to fade away to nothing the instant she saw his face, the tense tears she'd been holding back the whole evening suddenly falling as she ran up to the prison.

The man inside gazed up at her, his eyes filled with complete, shocked astonishment.

He knew that face, the face of the girl with her hands on the bars.

"_Here, take this, Senri. It's getting colder now that winter's getting closer." He took the scarf from her delicate, outstretched hands, a proud grin coming across girl's face. "I made it myself, you know!" He looked down at her warmly while he slipped it on, returning the smile as her hazel-green eyes sparkled._

"…Nana!"

The girl straightened in surprise as he called her name, her eyes widening in amazement. "Senri… you…" A bright grin spread across her lips, the water continuing to fall from her face. Her eyes beamed. "You remember me!"

"Nana!" Senri called out again as he scrambled to his feet, walking up to her. He reached out a trembling hand as Nana outstretched her own through the bars. They delicately placed their palms against each other's, their eyes meeting as their faces filled with wonder.

This was her! The same girl from his memories! She'd grown bigger and taller, no longer a child, but it was still her – the same person seeing him through those green eyes as it was all those years ago. He'd never seen those three kids again, any of them. But yet there she was, in what would have been his final hours! Alive, and right in front of him.

The moment stretched out, neither of them moving their amazed gazes away.

"Hey, miss – are you ever coming?" A frustrated voice called from the other room.

"Huh? O…oh. Yeah…yeah, I'm coming." The girl sputtered, finding her voice again.

Nana finally turned, reaching for the lock on the cell door as she pulled out the keys with shaky hands. The exit opened with a click after a few seconds of fumbling. "Senri, come on! Cooro's here too – we came to rescue you! We're going to get out of here!"

She suddenly became more serious again, remembering Cooro still waiting by the door. She beckoned Senri out, holding open the door. He followed slowly, still partially in shock. "…Thank you…"

Nana just passed him a warm smile, leading her old companion into the other room.

She took a torch off the wall to make it easier for all the other +anima on the way out, gathering Senri and all the prisoners together as she stepped into the blackness. "Let's go!"

* * *

Cooro stood waiting once more, this time by the lever. He hadn't moved, and was alert to every little sound that echoed down the halls.

He didn't like being left alone, with no way to defend himself…but at least this way he was serving an actual purpose, instead of just being a burden.

Nana had felt uncomfortable with leaving him there to let her out, that much had been obvious. He had to admit feeling a little hurt – even for such a simple task, she hadn't quite trusted him. But there was no way he'd let her, and Senri too, get trapped in that cold, dark place – he wouldn't just leave! She didn't have any reason to be so worried… It didn't matter what happened, he would make sure that door got opened!

It was almost even quieter inside the station than out. The only thing that made him nervous was the fact that were indeed more guards in the building – just every so often he'd hear a few muffled footsteps or distant muttering and laughter, starting right after Nana had left. He could tell that they were far away, probably clear on the other side of the station, and it sounded like they were engrossed in a discussion of sorts…but still, the fact they hadn't walked by the basement entrance, or even discovered the unconscious guards by the stairs, was pure luck. He could only pray they'd keep occupying themselves until Nana got back.

A blazing pulse suddenly shot through him, running down his arms and throbbing at his shoulder blades. He held in a cry, both of his hands flying to his burning shoulders as he struggled to keep on his feet.

Again? No. It couldn't be.

_No._

He steadied himself against the wall, willing the pain to just go away. That familiar, horrid burning sensation had been bothering him off and on since it'd gotten dark, and this last time it had never ebbed completely. He didn't like it. At all. He'd been standing there for a good while now…Nana should've been back, hopefully with Senri , at any moment.

_Please, Nana…hurry!_

A cold, horrible shiver suddenly shot up the back of his neck. He tensed, all at once feeling another presence. His breath stopped coming, his heart skipping a beat as his eyes widened in panic.

Somebody was right behind him.

_The guards!_

He whipped forward without warning, not even looking back as he frantically reached for the lever. "Na…n…a…"

His scream caught in his throat, his voice trailing off to nothingness when he saw the figure standing over him.

The person standing in the hall wasn't one of the guards.

It was a woman. Her long black hair fell over her face, obscuring the pale skin that shown white with the trails of moonlight sneaking into the room. Big, dark shadows were spread out behind her, shuffling up and down with her breathing. Wings!

Cooro did nothing, standing hunched over with his frozen hands on the lever and a gaping mouth as he gazed up at her in shocked, complete horror.

The woman was just as motionless, piercing right through him with that stone cold face and those ashen brown eyes. Her lips were the first thing to move. "Hello there, 'Cooro'."

He shuffled backwards as if in a trance, stumbling against the back wall as a fresh wave pain shot through him from his shoulders. He gasped for breath, trying to keep the burning sensation from bursting out.

The woman frowned in fake sympathy. "Oh come now, it can't hurt that bad, can it?" She continued padding closer, leaning right over Cooro's face as he instinctively shoved his body against the wall – as if to try and back right through it. He was shaking terribly, barely able to get his tongue to move. "No! Please, not again! Just go! Get away from me!"

"Is that anything to say to an old friend? Especially after you were so rude to me that other night." She reached out a gentle hand, placing her fingers delicately across his cheek.

This time he let out a horrid, painful shriek, the cry echoing all the way down the silent hallways. His body gave a terrible jerk, his legs falling out from under him as he toppled onto the floor in an uncontrolled thud. He never stopped pressing his hands hard against his shoulders, fighting to keep the pain raging through him under control while still allowing enough motion to breathe.

The black-winged witch let him be for a moment as he huddled on the ground, still pressed against the wall. "I don't understand you…" She started quietly, sounding genuinely bewildered. "I don't understand why you do this every time, when it hurts you so much." There was something almost resembling sorrow in her voice as she gazed down at him, the sight utterly pathetic. "If you would just stop fighting it, the pain would go away. It doesn't have to hurt. No matter what you do, no matter how much you try, you can't change anything. You should just accept it, and stop being so afraid. Stop using fear as a shield against everything else. Why do you make yourself suffer?"

For one single, unspeakable moment, her gaze and Cooro's meet perfectly as he stared up at her. Sad, terrified tears ran down his face, but not for a second did the horror and defiance in his eyes so much as falter.

"But you already know all that, don't you? You know all of it, 'Cooro'." The woman herself concluded with a sigh as she watched his gaze, a strange, foreign note of compassion coming into her words. "You've already ruined yourself, or at the very least, this thing that you wanted yourself to be…and yet you still fight it, you still won't give in to what you already know is true." An ironic smile appeared delicately at the edges of her lips. "…You really are too human."

"Hey! Who's there! Show yourself – we heard the screaming!"

"And we found the men unconscious by the stairwell, we know you're here! Turn yourself in!"

Two male voices suddenly called from the edge of the hallway, coming closer as the sound of rapid footsteps drew near. The woman grimaced in annoyance. This time she wouldn't stand for interruptions.

The black-winged woman flipped around as the guards appeared behind her with weapons drawn, momentarily stopping in shock when they caught sight of her.

Their hesitation cost them. The killer let lose a strange gust from the palm of her hand as she thrust her arm forward. The attack cut right through the guards as if it was bladed, slicing right through their flesh as crimson splattered across the walls.

Cooro gasped in absolute horror as their bodies fell to the floor, hitting the ground in a lifeless splash of blood.

"No… No, stop! Please stop!"

The woman didn't even bother to answer as he protested. The two men were already dead, anyway. His pleas came too late

"Stop! Stop it! _Stop!_" He continued to cry hysterically, braking down into wretched, painful sobs.

She walked up to him again after a moment of watching his tears, towering over his trembling, diminutive figure. She was about to reach down a hand down for him, asking, or rather, demanding him to come with her, when she suddenly heard yet another voice.

"…Cooro, it's Nana. Open up the door, please."

* * *

"…Cooro…?" Nana's voice trailed off when there was no answer.

He was there, wasn't he…? Oh, please! He _had_ to be!

"Cooro, open the door!" She called again, louder, more urgency creeping into her voice.

Nothing.

A cold bolt of panic hit her in the chest.

"Pull the lever – open the door!" She practically screamed it that time, her unsure voice crackling with both concern and rage – she didn't know which she should be feeling, but she felt her blood go hot.

"What's going on?" "Did the person who was supposed to open the door leave?" "Did he get caught?" "How are we gonna get out of here?" "We're trapped!" The +anima gathered behind Nana started whispering nervously to one another, growing uneasily tense. Nana's panic was already starting to spread.

Senri passed her a worried look, placing his claws against the bars on the backside of the door. It was no use, it would be impossible to destroy the exit with steel barrier in front of it. They were trapped, and by now any guards out there would have heard them.

"Cooro, open the damn door!" She pounded against the door with her fists, her voice feverous.

* * *

Cooro flinched as the frantic calls kept coming, pausing in his sobs as a dazed bit of reality flashed in his eyes. He kept trembling, his hands never leaving his shoulders as he remained at his place on the floor.

The woman blinked, confused until she recognized the voice to be that of the girl from the merchant shop…from the night before the last. She almost didn't react quick enough when the boy all at once dashed passed her in a mad reach for the lever.

She snatched him by the arms before he could reach the switch, refusing to let him go this time. He screamed at her touch, frantically trying to free himself. The burning within him ripped and tore through both his body and mind, begging to be set loose as he resisted.

"_Cooro?_" This time Nana's call rang out with horrified alarm, the girl surely hearing the terrifying wail echo past the door.

"Nana…please…" He sputtered breathlessly as he struggled, his words filled with a quiet, terrified desperation. "Please…don't let her take me!"

"Cooro? What? Who? What's happening, what's wrong?" She cried back in a shaky, panicked voice.

The boy managed to tear his gaze back to the lever as the black-winged witch pulled him closer in an attempt to drag him away. He refused to stand, stretching his feet back towards the switch.

He touched the edge of the steel pole with tips of his toes, just barely pushing it enough to get the door off the ground. There was no way he could make it stay open like that, so he did the only thing he could think of.

He thrust his foot right into the gears.

Cooro screamed in absolute agony, wailing in terror as both the inner pain raged through him and the steel inner-workings of lever crashed right down on his flesh, completely jamming the door with a terrible clang. It was unlike any other wail, setting off terrified cries from both Nana and the other +anima and raising the hair on even the killer's neck.

And then it was silent. He stopped, falling soundlessly and limply into the arms of the startled, wide-eyed woman. She blinked, gazing down at him in confusion without quite understanding what'd just happened.

Somehow, he'd rendered himself unconscious.

She made a face – that meant she'd have to carry him away. She tugged on his body in an attempt to lift him up, only then realizing that he'd been completely caught by the machine.

* * *

Nana burst through the small hole in the doorway the second she realized it was steady, sliding into the hallway.

The girl's eyes stretched in terror, her feet tumbling back as she caught sight of what had been behind the door.

_No… It…it's…her! It's _her_! No, Niomi! No!_

The black-winged killer watched her coldly with Cooro lying limply in her arms, and the still, bloodied bodies of the guards sprawled across the stone floor.

_Why…why is she? Why is she here? What has she done to him?_

"Y…you…" Nana muttered in a complete state of shock, the words barely coming out. "It…it's you! _You!_ You killed Niomi! You turned my village against me! You took _everything_ away from me!" Her voice rose as she steadied herself, crackling in fury as her hands turned to fists.

She let out a raging screech, forcing the woman to stumble back – she dropped Cooro on the way with a dull thud, her hands flying instinctively to her ears.

This time it was the killer's turn to watch wide-eyed as +anima after +anima emerged frantically from beneath the door. Senri came up right behind Nana with his clawed arm extended protectively, his own face burning in ferocious rage.

Even she knew to flee. She turned, flying off down the hall without so much as another glance.

"No, get back here – you wont get away this time! You…you _witch_!" Nana was about to give chase once again, but Senri held her back. "Let me go!" She flailed in his arms defiantly. "Let go! I have to…!" Senri just nodded towards the floor, the girl following his gaze as her breath caught in her throat, snapping her back to reality.

"Cooro!"

The boy lay in a motionless heap on the stone tile, his right leg leading up to the lever machine.

Nana bent down next to him, frantically trying to rouse him awake. She nudged him with a hand to his face, gently at first, then harder, until she was practically shaking him. "Cooro! Come on, Cooro!" She got absolutely no response. His horrifying wail echoed in her already worked-up, frantic mind, her face beginning to dampen without hesitation.

_No, please…_

"Alive…" Senri remarked quietly, his hand placed at the base of Cooro's neck where the pulse would be. Nana passed him a glance, in her panic, she hadn't even taking the time to check his signs. Alive… Just a brief sensation of relief spread through her heart, before she breathlessly jumped up and dashed to the lever.

The machine was painted in crimson, still creaking in protest at the object lodged inside.

Senri ran over to help, the two of them prying apart the gears and delicately removing Cooro's leg as the door slammed shut with a bang. Nana's let out a horrified gasp when she saw the wound, a hand flying her mouth.

The flesh just above his ankle was completely mangled, hanging off in terrible shades of red. She could see the bone, a visible white mass at the center. It was scraped and scratched by the imprint of the machine's steel gears, but amazingly it still held together – had the bone broken, he'd have had no foot left.

What were they going to do? There was no way he'd be able to walk even if he woke up! She didn't even know if he'd ever be able to use that foot again… She shuddered. Cooro had kept his word and got the door open…but…

It was horrible, all of it was horrible! It was supposed to have been so simple – get the keys, get Senri, get out! Why? Why had that woman had to appear again – they'd saved Senri, but two guards were dead, and Cooro completely passed out with his right foot just hanging by a thread.

As her heart rate gradually started to slow, her panic ebbing to more of a dull sickness in her stomach, she became aware that she and Senri were the only two +anima left in the building…the others had long since frantically fled the wretched scene without so much as a thank you. Would they be all right? She hoped they knew not to linger in the village… Otherwise they'd surely be caught once more…

_But…if +anima are being taken into custody all through Astaria, then…_

She didn't even finish the thought…they'd done their part – all she could do was hope that they hid and hid well.

The three of them needed to get out of there, too… She didn't know where they were going to go, what they were going to do, but what she did know was that they couldn't stay any longer! They had to leave…_now_! …Maybe if Senri carried Cooro?

"Uh…?"

Nana and Senri both jolted their gazes away from the horrible sight, startled at the sound of the new voice.

Yet another guard stood at the entrance of the hallway, no doubt someone arriving to take their shift. The man stumbled back in shock, a horrified, disgusted look on his face as he caught sight of his lifeless, bloody companions on the floor…and the two +anima with another limp body beneath them.

"H…help!" His voice came out in a terrified scream, more footsteps immediately rushing towards him.

Nana was instantly on her feet, sending this guard to the ground as well with another screech.

Damn it! What timing – they'd been caught at the last second! Now they would be blamed for the murders of the guards as well as the jail break, on top of what they were already accused of at her own village!

"Senri, quick! We have to get out of here, we have to run! They'll know we escaped – they'll think we did this! You'll have to carry him!" She cried frantically, referring to Cooro.

Senri quickly did as he was told, scooping up the unconscious boy. He looked down at the face of the limp figure in his arms, his wide-eyes somewhere distant as something clicked in his mind.

Nana was already rushing away. "Come on! They'll be plenty of time for reunions later. We need to go!"

Senri just nodded in acknowledgement, turning and following her with the injured Cooro in his arms and the sound of angry footsteps behind them.

* * *

_So now they're on the run again – the three of them are really sunk now!_

_What exactly did the killer mean by some of those things she said to Cooro? And what's going to happen to the recently reunited three now…with the country turning both against them and +anima in general?_

_Stay tuned, and please review!_

* * *


	7. Chapter Six: Nightmare By The Firelight

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_All right, now to chapter six! This chapter is still fairly lengthy, but it's quite a bit slower than the last one – it mostly ties up loose ends and sets up for the next section of the fic. After this, it should start picking back up again. There are some important parts, though…_

* * *

**Chapter Six: **Nightmare By The Firelight

* * *

Nana lay stretched out on her side, her eyes watching the orange and scarlet fire dance against the darkening gray sky. She'd spread herself across one of the blankets they'd taken from Senri's shop, and had covered up her trembling body with another of the six.

Senri sat directly across from her, on the other side of the small flames. Cooro rested just beneath him, lying limply over another quilt with his eyes shut tight. He was still unconscious.

With Cooro in Senri's arms, the three of them had managed to make it out of the village – escaping while the guards had stood stunned at the awful scene that'd been spread out before them. No doubt, though, that they would be blamed not only for letting loose the +anima, but also for the murders of the guards…or at least, her and Senri would for sure. She wasn't sure about Cooro this time, since he'd been completely passed out. She didn't know if the guards would still label him as an ally of theirs, or as an unidentified victim. For his sake, she hoped it would be the latter. But then again, he'd still been with her when Niomi had been found back by the merchant shop…

Nana shifted uncomfortably, the gaze that settled once again on the flames mostly distant and blank.

The tenseness of the rescue earlier, and the initial joy at reuniting with Senri had distracted her from everything for a while. But now, as she rested in the middle of nowhere with the sun slowly disappearing behind the tree tops, she just felt empty and sick.

This was wrong! This was all wrong! This wasn't her life!

All those nights she'd spent by the side of a forest campfire, in the company of Cooro and Senri, and Husky too…she'd left those times behind years ago. Her life was back by the orchard, back with Niomi in the comfortable mountainside village, in her own tiny cabin.

But there she was…suddenly reunited with two of her lost childhood friends in the course of just a few days, under rather unfortunate circumstances… Niomi was dead, and she'd lost her home.

And…even though she was together with all but one of her old companions, where were they going to go?

Judging from the conversation she'd overheard from those guards, +anima in general were being taken under the custody of the government all over the country. And not only that, but the guards were also after the three of them specifically for jail-break and murder. If they were suddenly going that full-force against +anima, there was no doubt that word of their supposed crimes was already spreading throughout Astaria – wherever they went, the officials would surely be after them. What could they do? Where could they possibly go?

…Why did people have to be so cruel to +anima? It wasn't like they, or her and Senri, anyway…could just flee to Sailand to get away from their wanted status. Not with the slavery system that had been in place there for decades. She could only hope that Astaria wouldn't end up going in the same direction…or perhaps even worse… What would the +anima do then?

For the first time in years, Nana suddenly found herself wishing that her +anima would just disappear. Over the time she'd spent since parting with her friends, and despite the fact that she'd kept it hidden, she'd come to accept the +anima as a part of herself. But now…regardless of how helpful it'd been over the past couple of days, and how heavily she'd used it, she would be perfectly happy if it was suddenly just gone.

If she hadn't been a +anima, there was no way she would have been suspected in Niomi's murder to begin with…and even now, it would make her much easier to identify. Her +anima would serve as a mark to her identity – how could she ever escape the accusations against her, much less the new onslaught against the +anima in general, as long as it remained?

Maybe Cooro was lucky. Even though he was probably wanted by the government as well, Nana doubted that he'd ever run into trouble if he was to split up from her. With the guards never having been able to identifying whether or not he was one, he was known more as the rouge +anima's companion. Or perhaps now, just another victim. She didn't know, but she almost envied him.

Nana groaned aloud, burying her face against the blanket as she shivered. The quilts were small and thin – her and Cooro had only been able to bring along what they could easily carry, packed inside a small bag they'd also grabbed from Senri's closet… She missed the warmth of her tiny, musty cabin more than she would have ever thought possible.

This still felt like some surreal, twisted nightmare.

"…Cooro…" Senri spoke the name thoughtfully, running his fingers down the boy's face and giving him a slight prod. Cooro didn't move, falling right back into the same position as his older companion slowly moved his hand away. Senri frowned, giving him another push.

"It's okay, Senri…" Nana remarked quietly, barely looking up. "Just let him be for now. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you when he wakes up."

The bear +anima had been doing that all evening, obviously having a hard time just leaving the unconscious Cooro alone. Having been prodding and poking at his old companion ever since he'd set him down, Senri was clearly anxious for him to wake up, and probably worried too… One thing that was for sure, though, was that he definitely knew who the boy was. Nana couldn't help a smile. He was still in a state of disbelief, but she was just glad that he'd remembered the two of them. She'd really had her doubts.

Senri stared at Cooro's motionless face a moment longer before turning instead to her, his eyes filling with concern at the meekness in her voice. "…Nana?"

The girl forced a confident grin across her lips. "I'm okay too, don't worry. I'm just a little…tired…" Her voice trailed off at the end, despite how reassuring she'd tried to sound. He didn't say anything else, keeping his thoughtful, distant gaze on her. He was sad to see her this way, she knew that.

Senri was in almost exactly the same situation as her. He may not have lost anyone close like she had, but he'd been forced to flee his home and comfortable life, had suddenly found himself back together with a couple of old friends, and had become another victim of the rising movement against +anima and wrongfully accused crimes.

He was still really quiet, hardly having spoken at all since they'd escaped, and never in more than one or two words…but his eyes remained strong, despite what he'd just been through. Unlike Cooro, who'd somehow been completely shattered, she could definitely tell that this was the same person from her memories…and that was one of the only comforts she had. Even though she'd mostly been fumbling over her own regretful thoughts, it made her feel much better to have him around. It was his sturdy and familiar presence that provided her the ounce of strength she needed to keep from caving in completely.

She tried to look on the positive side – at least they'd saved him, and he would live to see the coming noon. …Everything may not have gone exactly as planned, but her and Cooro had in fact managed to spare Senri, as well as the other captured +anima, from the government's cruelty. That was really quite an accomplishment, with it just having been the two of them…

…Cooro…

This time it was her gaze that rested on her companion. He'd been laying completely still the whole time, wrapped in several extra layers of blankets in an attempt to keep him warm. Nana was still dressed in the black outfit she'd worn during the raid, never having bothered to change out of it. They'd had to use scraps from her and Cooro's old clothes, though, to bandage up the wound on his leg. The make-shift cast wasn't completely satisfactory, but she and Senri had done the very best they could do.

What worried Nana, though, was that despite their efforts, they hadn't been able to fully stop the bleeding. How could they, with a jagged, terrible wound like that? The flesh had literally been torn off the bone! Even now, she could see fresh drops of crimson dotting the surface of the rags, sometimes leaking from underneath it and dripping down his ankle.

A sad, ironic smile came across her downcast face. Cooro had kept his promise, and had gotten the door open, but at what cost to himself?

He seemed okay…his chest still rising and falling as he steadily took in air, but would he ever be able to walk again? He could easily end up losing that foot…

Nana felt herself shuffle nervously. What would happen if it didn't heal right? What would happen if the wound bled too much before healing? He needed to be at a hospital, not out there alone in the middle of the forest…

Cooro's horrible cry as the gears and chains tore into his foot echoed through her mind, making her shiver. He'd been asleep for a long time… She'd mostly been lost in her own thoughts, but suddenly, like Senri, she desperately wanted him to wake up – even if it wouldn't heal the wound, even if it wouldn't stop the bleeding, just seeing his eyes looking back at her would be such an unspeakable relief.

He seemed so…dead…right now.

Nana bit her bottom lip. Even though she'd only just seen him for the first time after parting eight years ago, and regardless of the fact that having been forced to flee with him wasn't what she'd wanted, she didn't think she could bear it if…if he didn't wake up, if something went wrong… He was already so frail… She subconsciously balled her fingers into an anxious fist.

Why had that horrible woman been there? What had she done to him?

She felt a fierce rush of anger go through her at the thought of that wretched, black-winged witch. As worried as she was about Cooro, all her sorrow suddenly turned into a hot blaze of fury.

It was all because of her! _Everything!_ Never before had she hated a single person so much! …She hadn't even known such hate was possible.

But…Cooro having run into her while waiting by that door was the last thing she'd expected. She hadn't thought she'd ever see that awful killer again, much less just a couple of nights later.

She suppressed a slight, troubled gulp in her throat. _Did_ she have some strange connection to Cooro…? The way she'd suddenly shown up had almost been too odd to be a coincidence…but that would have to mean she'd been specifically seeking them out, and why would she bother? Even if they were witnesses to Niomi's murder, it's not like they would really make a difference to the killer – she'd been seen before, by people like that one victim's wife, and the guards had already placed at least partial blame on her and Cooro. Why had she only shown herself specifically to him, anyway…? Was that just a coincidence too, or…?

One nagging question settled in Nana's mind above all the others, refusing to go away whenever she tried to put her suspicions to rest…

Why hadn't she killed him?

Everyone else in that room had been slaughtered by the time Nana had burst out from underneath that door, but Cooro had been unconscious in her arms – alive.

"…_Nana, please…don't let her take me…!"_

What had he meant by that? Was that a way of saying he was afraid he'd be killed – that his life would be 'taken'? …Or had the words 'take me' been referring to something else…

She was glad, so glad, that he hadn't just been left another corpse by the time she'd returned from the basement…but that didn't change the fact that she couldn't understand why he hadn't. …If the killer really had sought them out – which Nana certainly hoped was not the case, considering that might mean that they hadn't seen the last of her – then there had to have been _something_ she wanted, right?

…And…that night Nana had first seen her, when Niomi had been murdered in her own home, had also been that same evening Cooro had shown up in her orchard. Scared, and having left his own companions for reasons unknown.

A terrible, cold shiver ran through Nana's whole body, from her feet to her shoulders, and left her feeling sick.

No! No, that couldn't have anything to do with any of it! …After all, not every killer has to have a motive, right? Some are just completely sadistic and mad!

She gave Cooro a last, tired gaze before she let her face sink completely into the fabric of the quilt beneath her, her heavy eyelids drooping. She pulled the top blanket completely over her shoulders, struggling to find any bit of warmth that she could. Not even her own worry could keep her exhausted body and worn out mind awake any longer… She may as well get as comfortable as possible.

"Cooro!"

Nana jerked right back up again a moment later as a horrible gasping noise hit her ears, Senri's startled cry following seconds after.

The boy was still unconscious, but he was no longer completely peaceful and still. He was shuffling uncomfortably in his sleep, panting for breath as a few drops of sweat appeared on his brow.

She suddenly got to her feet in alarm, a bolt of panic waking up her senses as she hurried to Senri's side…her older companion already leaning over the wounded boy.

"Cooro? Cooro, wake up! What is it, what's wrong?" Nana put her hands on his chest and face, giving him a slight shake. Senri joined in, this time both of them trying to rouse him.

What happened? Was he in pain? Had his condition gotten worse?

He still didn't wake, continuing to rasp and writhe uncomfortably beneath them.

Nana forced herself to calm down, trying to take a better look at him.

The movement had stirred a few fresh crimson drops to the surface of the bandage around his ankle, but other than that, the wound didn't seem any worse. And his chest still rose and fell fairly steadily, despite how raggedly the breaths were coming in.

Nana relaxed slightly, not finding anything visibly wrong.

"…Maybe, the wound is just hurting him…or he's having a bad dream?" She suggested thoughtfully, her and Senri sharing a glance as they sat over their still unconscious companion.

* * *

_It was winter…towards the far end of season when the frost was giving off its last, full-power fight in an attempt to avoid succumbing to the spring. _

_The boy rummaged about his small cottage, left on the outskirts of the village by the place where the trees began to grow. He heard the pot boil just in time, running up to the wood stove and hurriedly removing the meal from the heat of the flames. _

_He went right back to cleaning after setting the carrots and potatoes on the table to cool – he'd invited someone over for dinner, and he wanted his house, usually somewhat mismatched, to be as clean and welcoming as possible. _

_The boy was Cooro. Or, at lease, that's who he could've sworn he was. But…his body seemed different. _

_A few tuffs of blond bangs fell over his freckled face, the short, pale hair curling around the base of his ears. His eyes were blue, and glasses rested in front of them on his nose. _

_He didn't know how he knew all this, there was no mirror in the small cabin, but despite the confusion in his mind, he knew exactly what he currently looked like. And he recognized every little detail of the small home, even if he didn't necessarily remember it. _

_The boy also knew exactly whom he was waiting for. It was girl with the beautiful, almost white hair…usually kept in a ponytail with a few strands falling across her delicate features. She was tall, with rose-colored lips and intense green eyes._

_There was a knock on the door. _

_He quickly padded over to open it, sure enough finding that same girl standing outside on the covered porch. It had started to drizzle as the sky turned a peaceful pale gray, and a few drops of water dribbled down the strands of her hair._

_The greeted each other with a smile, the boy quickly beckoning her inside and away from the weather. _

_He was perfectly content – safe and with company in his warm, comfortable home. _

_And then the scene switched. _

_He didn't know how much time had passed, but he felt older…and different. Or rather, more like he would have recognized himself to feel. The simple peace of that winter night had vanished completely, replaced by a sensation of guilt and fear throbbing at his senses. _

_Horrible, unwelcome thoughts and emotions flitted through his heart. It didn't feel natural – these feelings couldn't be his! It was as if he was waging a war with his own being…like some other, unwanted part of himself was trying to take control!_

_He tried to force the fearful instincts away, wincing as he stumbled back slightly. A few drops of crimson dotted his hands, his whole body shaking. _

_Big, black wings were spread out behind him, dark feathers scattering across the cold ground. _

"_What's wrong with you? What happened? I won't ever forgive you for this, not ever! I hate you! I _hate_ you!"_

_The same girl was there again, this time her eyes filled with horror and rage._

_Tears fell down the boy's face even as he struggled in pain – he was just managing to get himself under control again. "I'm sorry! I'm so,_ so_ sorry, I…I don't know what happened – please forgive me!"_

_The girl never even answered, turning and rushing away in the opposite direction._

_He heard a laugh behind him as he stretched out a hand after her, trying to get his legs to obey. _

_The boy flipped around, scowling in rage at the black-winged woman that approached._

"_Don't you run now." She ordered, sounding darkly amused. "Come with me, and things might just end better for her."_

_He paid no notice, frantically darting off after the pale-haired girl with a defiant huff._

_The scene broke again, but this time all that passed was a matter of moments. _

_Darkness weaved in and out as a picture struggled to form, a cacophony of misplaced sound hitting his ears. He couldn't tell what was happening as the time skipped around, but his heart was beating frantically in his chest as he continued surging forward. _

"_Tilah!" _

_Tilah…yes, that was his name – not Cooro._

_He heard the girl call out to him frantically as the blackness suddenly shattered, the scream echoing in his mind as the image before him took shape. _

_The girl was dead. _

_An icy jolt ran through his body, freezing his very veins. _

_She laid spread out on the soil, blood spilling from her chest. There were a few black feathers stuck to the sticky, crimson liquid – he didn't even know whether or not they were his…or _hers_._

_He sensed another, all too familiar presence nearby, a mocking smile beating down on him. "Don't take me lightly." A female voice insisted coldly. "If you keep refusing me, everyone that means something to you will end up just like this."_

_The boy fell to his knees with a hard thud, his heart swarming in terror and grief._

"I hate you!"

"_Elizabeth… Elizabeth…no... No!" The last words the girl had truly spoken to him played over and over again in his memory as water dribbled down his cheeks and onto his neck. "No!"_

* * *

"No!"

Nana scrambled backwards with a startled yelp as Cooro suddenly jerked up to a sitting position without warning, his forehead almost colliding with hers.

His eyes were completely distant and wild, as if he didn't even see them. He was still panting, tears running down his face as he rasped for breath, almost sobbing. His face was completely overcome by horror, like he was looking at something awful that only he knew was there. "No…no! No!"

"Cooro! Hey…stop! What is it? It's okay!" Nana threw her hands to his shoulders, holding her hysterical companion firmly in her grasp.

He jerked away with a surprised gasp at the touch, gazing up at her with shock and confusion written all over his face.

For a single, brief moment, he had absolutely no idea who she was. He took another look at her, trying to place her image.

"…Nana?"

And then it came back to him, reality finally clicking in his mind.

He was, in fact, the boy named Cooro. Of course. A red flush came to his cheeks.

It had just been another nightmare, that's all.

"Cooro! Thank goodness! Are you all right?" Nana smiled in relief, leaning forward again and placing the palm of her hand on his back as if to help keep him steady.

He took in a deep breath, struggling to calm his erratic breathing. He blinked, still partially dazed. "Yeah…yeah, I'm okay… It was just…a nightmare."

He shuffled, deciding all at once to get to his feet. He let out a screech the moment he tried to lift his right leg, a sharp, throbbing pain shooting all the way up his back. "Careful!" Nana gasped, steadying him again. "…Your wound…" He stared blankly ahead, the burning in his ankle momentarily taking his breath away.

Oh…that's right.

He winced, hearing the sound of the steel ripping into his flesh as he jammed the gears with his foot.

Wait… His heart jolted as the events came back to him in more detail, distant horror returning to his eyes. He saw the woman's face, feeling the cold clasp of her hands on his arms as she tried to drag him away.

"Nana!" He suddenly blurted out. "Wait! What happened, too…?" "I got that witch to let go of you with a screech! After that, the wretch just took off!" Nana answered, guessing what the question referred to. She continued, more hesitantly. "…What happened, anyway? Where'd she come from?"

Cooro didn't answer for a moment. The ever-present fear in his eyes, while having settled, was still agitated, shining in his gaze. "I…I don't know. She just appeared out of nowhere, right behind me!" He paused, still trying to un-tense his muscles. "…Thank you…for saving me."

Nana considered pressing him further, but, he looked so…miserable. The questions evaporated on her tongue, replaced instead by a forced smile. "…No problem!"

"Oh, the door!" Shame played across Cooro's expression as he suddenly piped up again, surprising her. "…I can't do anything right, can I? Not even something so simple as pressing a lever! It…it's just…with her there… I… I did get it open, though, didn't I…?" Nana blinked as he sputtered – it looked like was about to burst into tears again. "Huh? Yeah, you did…" Her confused expression turned to a look of sympathy. "It's not your fault that she showed up!" She started, praying it was true. "We had no idea _that_ was going to happen – you didn't do anything wrong! I'm just sorry that you got hurt…"

Neither one of them said anything for a moment.

"And look…!" A light all at once came across Nana's face as a thought came back to her, grinning in an attempt to cheer him up. She pointed behind Cooro, towards his right. "We did it! Look who's here with us!"

He turned, following her gaze. For the first time, he noticed the familiar man crouched beside him.

"…Senri!" He trembled with eyes stretched wide in amazement, staring in astonished disbelief at the sight of his oldest former companion.

"Cooro…" Senri answered back in a quiet voice, looking equally stunned…or perhaps a bit bewildered. Cooro didn't notice.

He let out a slight, surprised gasp, a wide grin spreading across his face seconds later as a delicate but bright light returned to his eyes. "Senri…you remember me!"

The bear +anima all at once reached forward, carefully wrapping his strong arms around the boy.

Cooro flinched slightly, startled. He let himself relax a few moments later, a distant, melancholic smile coming over his lips as water started to well from his eyes.

He cried. Letting himself fall limp in the embrace.

Senri silently let the boy's tears dampen his shoulder, holding him tightly.

The truth was…he'd almost recognized Cooro more when he'd been asleep. The 'Cooro' that he remembered was a bright-eyed, carefree child…but he was different now, his eyes looked so…sad, and scared. Senri could feel Cooro's whole body shaking unsteadily, realizing how light and weak the boy had become. It made him sad, too. He didn't know what had happened to the child from his memories, but he wanted to make him better…in whatever way he could.

And so he held him, Cooro weeping tearfully in his arms. Neither him, Senri, nor Nana said a word.

The gray in the sky slowly shifted to a star-lit black, evening turning to night as all three of them sat together for the first time in eight years.

* * *

Cooro was sitting alone again by the time the moon had fully risen on the horizon, still stuck in the same place. He shivered in the autumn chill, his face still damp from the tears he'd shed earlier.

He watched as Nana and Senri cooked what appeared to be some kind of meat over the fire, probably from the emergency rations they'd packed earlier.

It was probably a bit late to be eating, but Nana had noticed her hunger after finally getting up from her blanket in front of the fire. There was an extra morsel hanging off the stick Senri was holding over the flames, obviously for Cooro. For once, though, the boy didn't really feel want food.

His thoughts had returned back to the dream from earlier. He hadn't had one like that for a while.

"_Tilah!" "Elizabeth… Elizabeth…no! No!" _

Who the heck was this 'Tilah' anyway? He didn't even know – he had absolutely no idea! And yet, during the nightmare, he'd been so convinced that was who he was… So sure, in fact, that even when he'd woken up, it'd taken him a moment to remember his real identity and life.

It was so strange. It'd felt completely natural…he'd instinctively known exactly what he – 'Tilah' – looked like, the details about his home, even about that girl he'd been waiting for. 'Elizabeth'…he'd called her by name, yet actually had no idea who she was, either. He knew things during the dream, but he didn't actually _remember_ them. He couldn't recall any of 'Tilah's' past, or anything beyond simply recognizing what was presented to him.

This wasn't the first time he'd had a dream like that, either. Far from it. He'd even specifically been 'Tilah' in his sleep before.

For years, there had been two different, distinct kinds of nightmares that plagued him…even on nights when that awful, black-winged witch kept silent.

There were those like the one he'd just had. The dreams where he had a different face and another name, where he knew strange places and other people. And usually, the scenes presented in these nightmares followed a pattern. They would start out almost painfully blissful and calm…then eventually something would go horribly wrong, and someone would usually end up dead. They were almost always the same in that way, and they always felt so chillingly real. It wasn't just this 'Tilah' person he'd become in these dreams either – there were other identities that he'd sometimes assume, each with its own set of friends, settings, and tragedies.

"_If you keep refusing me, everyone that means something to you will end up just like this."_

However, in these nightmares, there was only one person he truly remembered…and that was_ her_.

He'd like to have thought that maybe it was just the anxiety of having her lurking around that lead his mind to create these terrible stories in his slumber…but, he'd been having dreams like that before he'd ever even seen her, she'd just never appeared clearly in them until then, even though the other aspects were the same.

That type of nightmare…he'd been having occasionally for almost as long as the past nine years – just before he'd even left Senri, Husky, and Nana. He hadn't said anything about them. At first they hadn't bothered him much, but as he got older, the stories they told got worse – the tragedies at the end had started to appear, turning them from simply strange to troubling.

They weren't the worst type of dream though. No, the worst was the other kind of nightmare that used to haunt him as well after he'd grown a bit older. The kind where'd he'd envision things in his own life – horrible, violent things – where he'd feel the burning in his shoulders, and where he felt, well…a lot like…

An image of stone walls flashed through his mind, speckled with splattered blood. He stood panting for breath, a knife still in his hand.

Cooro gave his head a rapid shake at the memory, trying to clear it away.

After that happened, though…about three years ago, he hadn't really had any of those nightmares, and the first kind had become less frequent as well. He subconsciously placed a thoughtful hand on one of his shoulders. He'd been right…it'd gotten better he'd made _that_ decision.

Thank goodness! The kind of nightmares he still had were awful enough, but while they made him feel sad, empty, and sick, the second kind were truly horrifying…and sometimes he wondered whether they'd actually been dreams at all… He shivered.

"Here!"

Cooro blinked, thrown out of his thoughts as Nana held a charred piece of meat in front of him.

"Senri cooked it for you. Eat it! You need all the strength you can get with that wound of yours." She continued, probably adding the last part after having noticed the blank look Cooro was giving the small chunk of food.

He took it from her reluctantly, continuing to simply stare at it a moment longer. The boy knew she was right, though. He put it to his mouth, taking off a small bite. He had to admit it was delicious as the warm juices hit his tongue, suddenly finding the tiny morsel to be disappearing a whole lot quicker than he'd thought it would. Nana smiled satisfactorily, enjoying her own small share. Senri had come to sit beside them as well, contently eating his piece.

Cooro looked up from his food long enough to give Nana a slight glance, noticing her eyes resting on his right leg. She turned her gaze back towards his face. "…How does your foot feel?"

"…It hurts." He answered simply after a pause, his eyes falling away from hers as he spoke. It did hurt. His ankle was constantly stinging, and he'd feel a sharp, vivid rush of pain if his leg so much as twitched. He doubted he could even move his foot…though he didn't dare even try, all he could feel was the dried, sticky liquid covering it.

He hated this! He couldn't even move from the quilt he'd been set down on no matter how much he wanted to – the mere thought making him squirm restlessly in place. And…the last thing he wanted was to be more of a burden than he already was…

Nana suddenly pulled the top blanket away, revealing the bandaged ankle. She instantly frowned as the cast was illuminated by fire-light.

It was bleeding just as much as it had been earlier that evening. The rags were completely stained, and even the quilt beneath him was tainted with a few, fresh drops of red. Cooro stared at it too, not even having realized that it'd been bleeding quite that much. He hadn't even seen what the wound looked like for himself before it'd been bandaged. Maybe he didn't want to…

"It's…still just as bad." Nana remarked glumly, her voice quiet. "I…I think we need to get you to a hospital of some sort tomorrow…" She turned to Cooro as she spoke. "Huh? …But, aren't the guards after us practically everywhere?" Cooro objected, Nana having explained earlier to him what'd happened after he'd passed out. "Well…maybe if we keep our +anima hidden, and get out as quickly as we possibly can, they wont recognize us. After all…you're the one needing the attention, and you're not a +anima anymore, so…" Nana started, trying to sound hopeful. "Well, you wouldn't get taken into custody just for that anyway. And it makes you a lot harder to identify than me and Senri."

"Uh…" Cooro sputtered, taken aback. "But…" "We have to!" Nana insisted, not letting him get another word in. "We can't just carry you around in the middle of nowhere with a dangerous wound like that! What if you loose too much blood, or if it gets infected?" "…Needs help." Senri agreed, looking over Cooro's foot himself. The boy just sighed, knowing that he couldn't talk them out of it. "…Okay."

Besides…he was a bit afraid of the wound. He knew it was bad. What if he would never be able to walk again? Or, if… He made a face at the thought – he'd been trying to keep possibilities like that out of his mind.

"Then it's settled." Nana decided firmly. "First thing in the morning, we'll try to find a hospital somewhere close by. We'll have to be really careful, though."

Senri simply nodded in agreement, pulling the blanket back over Cooro's shivering legs.

"For now…" She added. "We should all just try to get some sleep."

They all settled into their makeshift beds shortly after that, struggling to fall asleep.

Cooro was reluctant after that last, horrible dream…but, they didn't usually happen too often, maybe he could rest peacefully this time. At least _she_ seemed to be leaving them alone this time – there was no way he could sneak away from the others now like he had before. …Hopefully she was lying low after the close-call at the station.

He finally felt the light, comfortable haze of slumber overcome him, so different from the enveloping, thick darkness of unconsciousness. He could hear the rhythmic breaths of both Nana and Senri as he drifted off, the two of them sleeping close to him. The hint of a timid, contented smile, delicate as if he was afraid it might be stolen away, lit his face as his eyes finally stayed shut.

* * *

The silver-haired boy padded groggily up to his boss – the sheriff, where the rest of his squad had already gathered.

There was barely even a tint of blue in the sky, but already they'd all been forced out of bed. He sighed impatiently, still exhausted. What was it this time?

"Ah, Myrrha, there you are! At long last! Hurry and pack your things, we're about ready to depart." His boss ordered before the boy had even fully reached them.

"Huh? Depart? Where are we going?" He questioned, confused. "We're going to the area of Astaria closest to the mountainside, where we'll be patrolling the villages." The sheriff, an imposing, burly man, explained. "They've been having problems with the +anima there lately…there's a small gang on the loose that's reportedly already committed several murders – they've called us over to specifically seek that dangerous group out. I'll tell you more about them on the way."

The boy, Myrrha, automatically felt himself tense, only nodding before heading back to his bunk. He didn't say anything.

He barely managed to finish packing before it was time for them to leave, taking a few minutes to rest on the bed he'd so rudely been pried from. Secretly, he wished he could just sit this particular mission out…

Without thinking about it, he placed a nervous hand to the base of his neck, where a gill-like marking was hidden beneath the collar of his shirt.

How long could he keep his secret?

He'd joined the village guards of Astar just a little over eight years ago, shortly after parting ways with the group of friends he'd been traveling with – other +anima. He couldn't help but smile a bit at the memories of the people he'd eventually grown close to. There'd been that obnoxious, black-winged crow boy, Cooro, that quiet bear +anima, Senri, and then that bat girl, Nana… That was back when he'd been known by his other name…Husky.

The boy groaned aloud. The situation with the +anima in Astaria was getting worse by the day. He'd kept the fact that he was one of them a secret ever since he'd been taken in by the sheriff himself – none other than the captain of the guards, after having impressed him with his combat skills. That was when he'd been caught shoplifting food, stuck in the alleys with nothing. At first, hiding his +anima hadn't been too hard…it hadn't been as big of a deal, but now… He didn't know what would happen if someone ever found out. Thankfully, he'd already established a decent reputation within Astar – no one would ever expect him of such a thing now.

He hated watching the +anima around him get stolen from their homes, he hated being a part of the organization that was doing it! But…he obeyed. He had no where else to go. If he resisted, he would be thrown back onto the streets. He would keep hiding his secret, and hope for the best.

The silver-haired guard picked up the bladed staff resting beside his bunk, running his fingers distractedly along the sharp edge.

He didn't like having to oppose his fellow +anima, not when he knew they already had so much against them…so many years of discrimination and hatred. But…there was nothing that justified killing.

Apparently, this group they were after were murderers – he'd show them no remorse.

* * *

_Well, that's that for now. _

_Hopefully the part about Cooro's dreams wasn't too terribly confusing – it will make more sense as the fic goes on and the mysteries behind him and the killer slowly start to unravel. _

_Anyway, let me know what you think, and they'll all be moving from that spot by the campfire next chapter. Husky's going to end up getting involved now, too… _


	8. Chapter Seven: Keeping A Secret

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_Here's the seventh chapter now! This is another long, fairly important one._

* * *

**Chapter Seven:** Keeping A Secret

**

* * *

**

It was already mid-afternoon by the time the rooftops of the nearest village came into view, reflecting the chilled, but bright sunlight. The only clouds in the crisp, clear blue sky were small wisps of white being carried through quickly by the swift autumn breeze.

Not able to return to the city they'd left from, Nana and Senri had started walking shortly after dawn – the injured Cooro carefully hauled through the meadow-like area on his oldest companion's back.

The wound on his leg had looked much the same that morning as it had the night before, a few fresh crimson drops smeared across the blankets by the time they'd awoken. The rags around his ankle were almost completely stained a combination of red and dried black – the bandage definitely needed to be replaced, but Nana hoped that things like that would be handled by the doctor once they found one…she didn't want to mess with horrible injury anymore than she had to.

This village would have a hospital, wouldn't it? She'd heard of it, but had never actually been to this small, secluded town before, either.

After leaving the forest bordering the previous city on all sides, they'd come out into a more open area running along the side of the nearby mountain range. It was a place covered with pebbles and tall grasses, small brooks cutting their way through the cold soil. A few persistent flowers still bloomed by the creeks as well – painting the scenery with a delicate tinge of white and light blue.

The town itself was located down a bit of an incline, set along the shore-line of the slow moving river that seemed to be the source of the surrounding creeks. It was quite a sight – the golden, sparkling shimmers of the sun reflecting off the watery surface like glass as the group carefully made there way down the wooden steps that had been carved into the hillside.

"Wow, look at this place!" Nana remarked as their feet landed on the main path where the ground leveled, the soil bare from being frequently tread. "It's so different from the last village." Indeed, with its quaint, wooden houses and grass covered alleyways, it was quite a contrasting sight in comparison to the bustling brick city from before. It reminded her a bit more of the village she'd lived in, only it looked even less populated. There appeared to be no other major streets aside from the one they were walking on, and the town only covered the small, somewhat square valley between the cliff-side and the river.

Nana never really got any response – Senri was as silent as ever, and Cooro rested with his head against his companion's shoulder, his eyes tired and downcast. It almost seemed like wound was bothering him more than it had before – moving him had probably irritated it. Occasionally he'd let out a slight groan, giving a painful twitch if he got bumped at all. Senri had been forced to tread as smoothly as possible to avoid jerking him, as much as he could, anyway. They'd been moving at a fairly slow pace, but in reality Nana hadn't expected to reach the village until that evening, so finding it a bit closer than she'd thought had been a nice surprise.

Her heart took a jump, though, when she caught sight of what awaited them by the town entrance. They paused, coming to a halt.

Dressed in uniform, an armed guard stood by the main street, leaning against the side of one of the oak buildings.

"What do we do now?" Cooro asked, finally piping up as he gazed apprehensively at the weapon-clad man. Nana didn't answer right away, shuffling her feet nervously. It looked like the guard had been stationed there purposely, but maybe if they acted normal, he wouldn't question them. She briefly wondered why he was even there – with the city so out of the way, she doubted many people came and went. But still, there was no way to avoid him.

"Let's just keep walking." She finally decided. "Maybe he'll let us pass without stopping us. If not, I'll just explain that we're looking for a doctor." The girl padded forward casually, Senri following with a nod. They walked up to the entrance and neared the first few buildings, hoping to walk right on through.

"Hey, you there!"

No such luck. The three of them tensed, the guard beckoning them toward him as they passed. They approached after a brief moment of hesitation, having no other choice now that they'd been seen.

"…What is it?" Nana asked as she padded up obediently with Senri still behind her, trying to look innocently confused. "State your business in this town." The man instructed. "This area is in a state of observation and high security, so we're monitoring who comes in." "High security…" Nana echoed, this time genuinely surprised. "Yeah." The guard explained. "There's been a jail-break of +anima in the city just across the forest, and there's supposedly a small, dangerous group of them that has already committed several murders and is suspected to have fled somewhere in the immediate area. Usually this town isn't heavily guarded, but some extra squadrons of us have been sent to take care of the situation and look after the populace until things calm down – there should be a few more groups arriving from the Astar area soon, too. This isn't anything personal, just standard procedure until we get all of this mess taken care of."

"O…oh…" Nana sputtered, trying not to sound alarmed at what she was hearing. She couldn't stop her eyes from widening, though. "Um…we…we're only here to look for a hospital. We were out hiking by the mountain base, when one of my friends got injured." She gestured towards were Cooro lay against Senri's back, the leg with the blooded bandage dangling limply down. "There is a doctor here, isn't there?"

The guard nodded approvingly. "Of course, miss." He pointed to the area right of the pathway. "Keep walking straight for a while, and you'll see it off to the side – it's right on the main street, the big, rectangular building." "Th…thank you. We'll go straight there." Nana replied politely, the group eagerly continuing on passed the guard a moment later without exchanging another word.

Well…that hadn't been too hard. The guards were sending in squadrons from the capital to handle this supposed crisis, but three of their specific most wanted had just walked right under their noses. Pathetic.

But still, she couldn't help an anxious gulp. They were really taking it seriously enough to call in extra forces? That, she hadn't guessed.

_People really are afraid of +anima…_

Luckily, though, the three of them didn't look like the crazed group of beastly murderers that people seemed to be expecting. As long as they kept their markings hidden…

Nana subconsciously felt herself check that her shirt was pulled up all the way in the back, passing a quick glance to where Senri's long sleeves obscured his arm.

"…Let's head to the hospital first. After that we can see about getting something to eat and somewhere to stay. It seems like we're okay here, for now." Nana announced distractedly, her two companions nodding in agreement.

* * *

"Umm…excuse me?" Nana piped up quietly as she padded her way to the hospital's front desk, Senri still following a few steps behind.

A woman with her hair in a bun and a man with glasses were chatting about something or another in the small room behind the table, the papers in front of them strewn randomly across the lower part of the desk. They didn't even notice their visitors at first.

"Excuse me?" Nana repeated a bit louder, this time getting the two workers to look her way with a surprised glance. "Oh…sorry miss, I'll be right there!" The woman finally answered, hurrying up to the main counter. "What can I do for you? Do you have an appointment?"

Nana winced slightly at the question – obviously, they didn't, she had hoped they wouldn't need one. "Well…no." She replied reluctantly. "We were just hiking up by the mountains when one of my friends was hurt…so we thought we'd come here." She told the worker, giving the same explanation that she had to the guard earlier. The girl stepped aside slightly, revealing more clearly where Senri stood behind her. The woman at the desk seemed to notice the downtrodden boy supported on his back for the first time, making a slight, startled face. "He got his leg caught between some rocks on the trail, we thought he should have it looked at…" Nana added, trying to reaffirm her story.

"Well…" The worker started slowly, thinking. "I guess we could see if we have any openings…but I do believe that the schedules of both doctors are filled up for the day. There's this darn flu going around that came with the change of seasons." She turned to look back at the man still sitting a few feet away. "Hey, Rick, we have a couple of walk-ins – are there any times open at all?" "Uh…" The second worker sputtered, quickly straightening and going through the messily organized papers. He realigned the glasses resting on his nose, giving one sheet a good looking over once he managed to find it. "…It looks like Gabriel has had a couple of cancellations, there's an opening in just twenty minutes or so, actually."

"Perfect." The female worker remarked cheerily. "Looks like you got lucky. You'll be looked at by Dr. Gabriel – I'll let her know you filled in the time slot. In the meantime, just sign this and then sit down in the waiting room for a few minutes." The man passed her another piece of paper and a pencil, the woman pushing the form to the edge of the counter. Nana was about to absentmindedly sign it out of habit, when the worker stopped her. "Wait. It's the patient's signature we need." "Oh, yeah." Nana moved back to the side with a slight blush, not used to doing the talking for someone other than herself. Senri stepped forward instead, automatically bending down to let Cooro grab the pencil and sign his name across the line.

"Great…Cooro?" The office assistant repeated, looking over the signature. The boy just blinked. "This is all we need for now. We can get the rest of the information and the payment later. I'll get everything set up, and we'll let you know when the doctor is ready to see you." "Okay." Nana answered for him again, giving a grateful nod as they walked over to a few free seats by the wall.

Senri carefully plopped Cooro down in one of the chairs, sitting on one side of him as Nana took the other.

The girl let out a quiet sigh, taking a more thorough gaze around the log building. It looked pretty casual for a hospital, though there were indeed quite a few nauseated looking patients and mothers with sneezing children gathered around in the rest of the remaining seats.

There were big windows on both the front and right walls, the room bathed with the bright afternoon sunlight spilling in through the glass. A few floral and lake pictures lined the walls, matching with the flowers visible from the small garden on the outside. A few toys were spread across the floor too, distracting sick children from the wait.

It was still a hospital, but it was comfortable – she liked the atmosphere. The whole village was that way, everything seemed so fresh and light!

"Cooro?"

The three looked up as a blond-haired nurse appeared by the doorway near the front desk, calling Cooro's name as she glanced around the waiting room.

"Uh…" The boy sputtered, tensing. "Right here." Nana pointed next to her, responding for him once more. The nurse nodded, turning to Cooro as she noticed the bandages on his leg. "Can you walk, or do we need to get a wheel chair?" "A wheel chair?" Nana butted in again, surprised at the suggestion. "Senri here can just carry him in." The woman shook her head. "The boy's the patient, right? I'm sorry, but no one else is allowed passed the waiting room. You two will have to wait outside."

"Huh?" Cooro shuffled nervously, startled. "I'll just go get a wheel chair real quick to help you to the doctor's room – it's no big deal." The nurse decided for herself, already disappearing back down the hall. "Just wait right there."

"I'm going to have to go in alone…?" The boy moaned uncomfortably, biting his bottom lip. "I guess so…but don't worry, we'll come back in just a little bit, and be waiting for you when you get out." Nana assured with a warm smile. He still didn't seem convinced, his eyes on the floor. "Look…" The girl added. "It's only a doctor's appointment. And…" Her voice quieted to where only he could hear. "You aren't a +anima anymore…so I don't think you need to be worried about anything to do with the guards. I don't think anyone will recognize you for anything." Senri nodded as well. "Err…" Cooro's anxious eyes opened wider, words getting caught in his throat. He looked like he was considering saying something, when the nurse suddenly appeared in front of them with a wheel chair held out ahead of her.

"All right, let's go." She prompted, thankfully not having heard any of their conversation.

Senri and Nana helped Cooro move to the wheel chair, the boy not meeting their gazes as he settled reluctantly into the seat. "Okay then." The nurse passed her tense patient a grin before looking back up. "The appointment shouldn't take too long, you two can come back in a bit and we'll let you know what's happening." And with that she turned and strode towards the hallway, taking the anxious Cooro with her.

Nana and Senri, alone now, exchanged a glance. "Well…I guess we should see about lunch while we wait."

The girl led the way to the door, both of them leaving the hospital for the time being. They may as well check out the town.

* * *

Nana plucked a blue flower from the shore, absentmindedly taking in the crisp but sweet scent as she held it to her nose.

About twenty minutes had passed since the two of them had started walking through the city. They'd grabbed a small lunch at a nearby outdoor café – finishing their share, and saving an extra sandwich for Cooro later, before heading down towards the river. It really was a beautiful day, autumn chill and all, and there would still be a few more hours before the dim gray of evening set in.

Somehow, despite all the pain of the last few days, despite the situation they were in, and despite the frightening things the guard earlier had announced, she couldn't help but smile as she stood there – gazing over the river with the sun glistening on its surface and wild-flowers blooming at her feet. A gentle breeze whistled by, making her bangs dance in front of her eyes.

"Cooro seemed nervous about going into the hospital alone." Nana remarked distractedly, knowing to not necessarily expect an answer. "I wonder why?"

Maybe it just went along with how anxious he seemed about well…everything. Her mind started to wander, going back to when she'd first found him in the orchard, and the first time she'd crashed into him in those woods. It felt much longer than merely earlier that week…even though that was all it had been. Just what had happened to him in those eight years they'd been separated? That question played over and over again in her head, but she tried to force the images that appeared away – his terrified, wild eyes…and the face of that wretched, black-winged woman. No, she didn't need to think about those things right now. She just needed to rest – something she hadn't properly done since the evening before that horrible night.

Sure enough, Senri didn't really have any comments, simply taking a few steps closer and gazing at the flowers by her shoes.

After the two of them had fled from the guard station in the last city, the first thing she'd done was explain everything to him. She'd gone over the whole situation – how she'd been forced to flee her village too, how they'd stayed at his shop…and about Cooro, before the boy had even woken up. She'd told Senri about how she'd come across him again, and about what she'd heard Taru say about him. …Silent as he was, he'd seemed just as startled as she'd been when she'd explained what Cooro had told her, about losing his +anima three years ago. At least it wasn't just her who thought that was surprising, then.

A sudden rustling noise diverted her attention back to the ground, looking down to see Senri kneeling next to a large, white flower at the water's edge.

"Oh!" She suddenly grinned, remembering something. She reached down and grabbed the storage bag she'd left in the grass, digging through it. "Do you still pick flowers, Senri?" She pulled her hand back out, holding up a familiar notebook. Senri's eyes widened. "Cooro found this back at your shop when we were there…he wanted to bring it for you, in case you wanted it."

It'd probably been a good idea. He'd suggested carrying it along to her before they'd left, since they had no idea when, or if, Senri would ever be able to return to his home… That way, though, unlike him and Nana, at least he'd have something to take with him.

Her older companion took it with a smile, simply gazing at it for a moment before reaching down and picking the flower. He lodged it securely between the pages, looking back up at her.

Nana just smiled back.

* * *

Cooro sat on the diagnostic bed in the doctor's office, the paper lining crackling beneath him as he shuffled in place.

The nurse had helped him up out of the chair, and then left the room, saying that the doctor would be with him in just a couple of minutes.

He waited silently, his eyes anxiously darting around the small office.

The door creaked open, drawing his nervous gaze as an unfamiliar woman stepped inside, carrying a couple of forms. She passed him a warm, reassuring grin as she entered, settling herself in the stool set up just in front of the bed.

"Hello there. I'm Dr. Gabriel, or Gaby, as most people call me. Pleased to meet you, Cooro."

He looked her over. She was dressed in an average, white medical outfit, with waist length brown hair and green eyes. She looked to be somewhere in her thirties.

"Uh…" He just sputtered again, not sure how to answer.

The doctor , Gabriel, didn't seem fazed. "This is your first time here, isn't it? That means I need to get some basic information about you first – we didn't get much when you checked in." She explained, holding up one of the sheets of paper along with a pencil. "First off…what's your last name? It looks like you only signed your first."

The boy just blinked before his gaze sunk down to the floor. "I…don't really have one…"

"…Don't have one?" The doctor echoed, obviously a bit taken aback. "But…"

Cooro just shook his head, his voice meek and quiet. "I've…never really had a family, so…I never got one."

"…Oh." The woman answered softly, giving him a look somewhere between pity and bewilderment. "Well…then I guess first will have to do. You don't see many people with that name, anyway." She passed him another grin, her voice increasing in tone again as she tried to change the subject. "Now, what about your address, where do you live?"

"I don't actually have a home…either. I was with a mining group until recently…but now I'm just traveling around with my friends." Cooro explained, as briefly as possible.

"You…don't have a family or a home?" The doctor wondered aloud, a hint of concern creeping into her voice. The boy just shook his head again. "No. I don't." Gabriel bit her bottom lip, trying to keep herself from saying anymore. It wasn't her place.

"And how old are you right now?" She asked simply, deciding it would be best to just move on.

"Nineteen." Cooro answered dryly. The number felt strange on his tongue. It seemed too old. Sometimes it felt like time had just completely left him behind, even when it still kept ticking.

"Okay." The woman nodded, scribbling it down on her paper. She seemed pleased to actually have an answer this time, or at least, relieved that he hadn't replied with something like 'I don't know'. She'd half expected that.

"I guess that's it for now." She announced. "There are a few other things like weight and height, but we can't easily get those if you can't stand up, so we'll just leave those blank." Cooro watched as she put the form down, picking up a different one and a few instruments of some sort from the nearby table as she slipped on a pair of gloves. "We'll have to go through the standard initial check-up though, before I look at your wound – just checking your breathing and heart rate, things like that. Your overall condition."

She walked forward, kneeling down next to where he sat on the bed. "Would you take off your shirt, please? Just for the check-up."

Cooro visibly flinched at the request. Damn it! He'd been afraid she would ask that. "Uh…umm…" "Huh? It'll only be for a minute. This is just standard." Gabriel explained, passing him a confused look. "I…I can't!" He suddenly blurted out, harsher and more frightened than he'd intended. The doctor actually took a step back, bewildered at the unusual reaction.

He stuttered, desperately searching for an excuse and coming up with nothing. He'd tried, and had never been able to, even during all that time he'd been sitting in waiting room. In the end, he said the only thing he could think of, even if it sounded completely stupid. "…It's…I'm too cold."

Gabriel just blinked. "Oh…? Well, I suppose it has been rather nippy recently since the season shifted to autumn – maybe you got chilled. The check-up is mandatory, but like I said before, all it will take is a few moments. I'll do it fast, and after that you can put the shirt back on, and I'll get you some blankets and something warm to drink. How's that?" She offered kindly, forcing a smile across her face. She didn't really give him time to answer though, walking up behind him and pulling up his shirt herself.

"Hey!" He objected, grabbing it from her and reluctantly holding it part way up himself as the doctor placed one of the strange instruments to his back and another to her ear. "Okay, now take a deep breath. I need to monitor your breathing." She instructed, ignoring his protest. He took in a tense, nervous rasp of air, trying to get this done with as quickly as possible. Like Nana, he was still in the black shirt from the earlier raid, never having changed. It was tight, clinging around his neck and upper back. He liked it that way, carefully making sure that his shoulders kept covered.

The doctor didn't make any comments as she checked his breathing and back, running a finger down a rib pressing against the skin of his frail frame. What was wrong with him? He was so weak…

She pressed up on the shirt he was still holding partway on, wanting to get a better look at the area around his neck.

"Stop!" Cooro sharply protested again as he felt the tug, trying to pull away from her as best he could. Gabriel couldn't help grimacing in annoyance. She didn't like losing her temper with her patients, but sometimes she found it a bit hard to deal with them all. Especially such a strange one like him. "Just take it all the way off already, it's just for a second!" She snapped, grabbing the shirt herself again and yanking it off over his head.

On each of his shoulders was a strange, bold black mark.

Cooro gasped in shock, his hands flying frantically to his shoulder blades. But he was too late, the doctor had already seen the markings.

Gabriel stumbled backwards, a palm to her mouth.

She knew what those markings were. Too vivid and dark to be a tattoo, and certainly not a birthmark of any kind. They were +anima marks. She'd seen them before…far too many times.

"You…you're a… It's a…" She almost tripped over the stool, struggling to catch herself as she backed against the wall.

Tears were running down Cooro's face, his hands still pressed hard in vain against his shoulders. He started to cry, breaking down in terrible, awful sobs.

"_Beast!_" The doctor suddenly spat, unbridled venom in her voice. "The guards! Somebody! Somebody get the guards!"

"No!" Cooro jerked his gaze back up as she cried out, his eyes blazing with alarm. "No! Please, don't!" He shoved himself forward, trying to get to his feet in a panic. He tumbled down the moment he tried to move his right leg, landing face first against the cold floor with a painful screech.

The woman jumped back another step, stopping her screaming as he lie spread across the wood, watching him with wide, terrified eyes in a way that was usually only reserved for him himself.

"Please, don't call anyone!" Cooro begged, his voice raw in utter desperation. "You…you don't have to be afraid!" He looked up at her pleadingly, water still dripping over his cheeks. "But…please… Please don't call anyone! Don't tell anyone! The guards are after us, if they find us, we'll probably be killed!" He started sobbing again, still on the floor.

Gabriel shuffled, her expression actually softening for just a brief moment.

_Killed?_

She didn't understand everything he was talking about, but he looked completely pathetic – strew helplessly over the ground, horrible tears running down his face and a few fresh smears of red leaking from the rags around his ankle.

"I'm just a crow +anima, and I don't even use it anymore! Please don't tell anyone…" He continued to beg. His voice was barely audible now, just meek and painful.

No! The doctor cursed inwardly at herself, forcing away the unwelcome tinges of sympathy appearing at the edges of her heart.

"No!" She cried, this time aloud, her voice as violent as ever. "You're all beasts! Savages! _Killers!_ You took away my younger sister! She died at the hands of your kind! She was just an innocent little girl!"

Cooro didn't say anything for a moment, still fighting with the sobs. "…I'm sorry."

His voice was so sad and miserable, it only made her blood boil more as memories of her sister came back to her, fury racing through her veins as and ripping through her mind!

"You…you _monsters_ aren't even human! What kind of human could do something like that to a sweet, helpless child?" She picked up the stood next to where she stood, slamming it across Cooro's face as he let out a painful cry.

He didn't say anything at all this time, remaining completely silent aside from the sobs as fresh crimson dripped down from his forehead.

She wacked him again with all of her rage, bringing the stool down full force on his frail form.

He cried out, struggling in vain to get to his hands and knees. "Please…please stop… I'm so, so sorry about what happened to your sister… But please stop…please don't tell anyone…" He never managed to make it off the floor, tumbling back down helplessly in tears and with a few new drops of blood spilling from his ankle, he was barely even managing to speak though his crying. He didn't bother trying to get back up again.

All at once, a stab of guilt clawed its way through Gabriel, whether she wanted it to be there or not. His helplessness was actually making her angrier. "If you're a crow, then that means you can fly, right? You don't even have to walk! Why don't you just come after me? Why don't you try to kill me like my sister?"

"I told you…" Cooro started weakly, the doctor straining to hear the muted words. "I don't use my +anima anymore… I haven't in three years…and I won't – no matter what…" He coughed painfully, struggling to find his breath. "And I'm…I'm not going to try to hurt you… I would never want to…"

This time it was the woman who said nothing, suddenly unable to hold on to her fury.

The +anima… She knew them as horrible, savage creatures. Killers. Inhuman. But…

The being in front of her seemed human enough. He hadn't done a thing. She couldn't find anything different between him and any of the other injured patients that came to her aside from the marks on his shoulders. He…seemed like just another human boy. But she'd hurt _him_.

Her rage was suddenly replaced by panic, the red in her face turning to pale white.

What had she done?

She ran up to Cooro all at once, kneeling down close. He was still sobbing, barely aware of what was happening anymore.

Gabriel forced herself to touch him, both of them wincing as she placed a shaky, but gentle hand by the scrape she'd left on his forehead. The doctor struggled not to recoil – she had to make sure the boy spread across the ground beneath her, her _patient_, was all right.

* * *

Nana dashed through the streets, dodging the people walking by as she quickly made her way towards the hospital, dragging Senri close behind her.

"Come on! We're already late! If Cooro gets out before we get there, he'll probably freak out!" She prompted impatiently, picturing the boy stuck alone in one of the waiting room chairs, shaking and gazing around with terrified, lonely eyes. He'd seemed so nervous when he went in for the appointment…maybe he would be better now that it was over with, but still, she couldn't say for sure with him. She definitely wanted to be there.

The girl burst open the doors to the office as she arrived and came to an abrupt halt, taking a swift glance around from corner to corner. A momentary breath of relief spread through her – he wasn't there. They must have arrived first after all.

But…it was a bit odd. She'd completely lost track of time, and had almost fallen asleep down by the river shore. She'd never heard exactly how long the appointment was supposed to take, but she'd thought for sure he'd already have been released by the time they finally got there. What was taking so long?

Nana pushed down a delicate sense of unease tingling at her senses.

She approached the front desk, wondering if the workers would know how the appointment was going and much longer it would be. It was the same two assistants from before, lost once more in their own conversation. "Umm…hello? It's me again." She announced, not bothering to speak quietly this time. "We're here to pick up our friend from the doctor – Cooro. It doesn't look like he's out yet, though. Do you know how much longer it's gonna take?"

"Oh…uh…" The two workers turned first to each other as her question hit their ears, then quickly started digging through the most recent papers scattered across the desk.

"Actually…" The man began, gazing across one sheet. "I believe that Dr. Gabriel had him submitted into the hospital."

"What?" Nana spat, shocked. Senri's eyes widened slightly as well. "You mean that he was checked in here overnight?" The man nodded. "Yeah, it looks like she has him set to spend several nights here in one of the hospital rooms – she wanted to observe how the wound is healing. You know, in case of infection or things like that."

"But…" The girl sputtered. "We never agreed to anything like that. We don't even know how long we're going to be able stay here!" The male assistant just shrugged. "It doesn't really have anything to do with you two. The decision is up to the patient and the doctor." "He actually said yes?" Nana inquired disbelievingly. After how reluctant Cooro had been to even go for the visit, she couldn't imagine that he'd agreed easily to spending several nights alone there. "Apparently." The man answered abruptly, getting a bit frustrated with this overbearing girl.

Nana took the hint, trying to calm herself down a bit. Maybe it wouldn't be bad – after all, it would be better to have Cooro under a doctor's care while he recovered from his injury, and they probably still had enough of Senri's money left to cover the cost…she just worried about lingering in one place too long.

She did want to see him though, to make sure he hadn't somehow completely panicked during the appointment…and to get the details about what the doctor had said. She didn't know why, but she had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach that something wasn't quite right, or as if something had happened. She'd felt it a while ago, back when she was still by the lake, but she'd tried to shake it off. It was probably nothing. Now though, with this rather unexpected turn, she wanted to see for her own eyes that he was okay. "Well…where is he then? We should go talk to him."

"I'm sorry, miss, but visiting hours are only in the morning – they're over now. And the doctor is busy, too." The female worker piped up. "What? What do you mean? We need to see him now." Nana insisted, taken aback. The woman didn't budge. "It means we're not accepting visitors at this time. The office is about to close for the evening, and no one besides the employees and people checked into the hospital are allowed passed the waiting room. Don't worry about it, all right – Gabriel always takes good care of her patients. Just come back early tomorrow."

Nana frowned determinedly. "Look, you can't just tell us we can't see our friend. Not when we promised we'd be waiting for him right after the appointment. We _need_ to talk to him." This time the two workers just sighed. They could tell that this was the type of girl who wasn't going to leave until she got her way. "Fine." The female assistant huffed. "Come with us. The patient you're looking for is in Room 6…I think the doctor might be with him. We can _ask_ Dr. Gabriel if you can see him for a few minutes, but I can't promise anything."

The woman came out from behind her desk, gesturing for them to follow down the hall. Nana and Senri both quietly padded after her.

* * *

Cooro awoke with a jolt, taking in a startled gasp as the unfamiliar room formed in his blurred, watery vision.

"Stop it! Don't move so much!"

He directed his confused gaze towards the voice, noticing the woman carefully un-wrapping the rags tied around his ankle.

Then he remembered.

The boy immediately tensed, instinctively trying to jerk away. "…It's okay…" The doctor started, her tone quiet. "I won't hurt you anymore."

Cooro winced, noticing the newly placed bandage on his stinging forehead and a few sore bruises on his left side as he continued to stare at her, his eyes dampening once more as he recalled what had just happened. No! She'd found out. She'd seen the marks on his shoulders. She knew. "…Please, don't tell anyone…"

Gabriel looked away as she heard the request form on his lips once more, defeated and meek. "…I won't." She answered assuredly. "And don't worry, no one found out either. Those inattentive idiots that work here never even bothered to come see what was going on – they thought it was just someone afraid of the hospital." She made a pathetic attempt at a good-natured laugh, before her gaze fell downcast. "…I'm…really sorry about what happened… I just… I was…_surprised_. I shouldn't have reacted like that, though…after all, you're one of my patients…"

"But I thought you hated +anima…" Cooro reminded dryly, unconvinced. "I do." The doctor answered honestly, without hesitation. "But…I was the one that acted like a beast, wasn't I? You didn't do anything at all, and I know you have nothing to do with what happened to my sister all those years ago…"

This time a few tears ran down from her own eyes.

She could have killed the boy in front of her, she knew that. He was so frail… He'd panicked when she'd discovered the markings – under that kind of stress, and being as weak as he was, his fragile body could easily have just given out if she'd kept beating on him. He seemed to be all right now though – shaken and upset, but all right…thank goodness. As much as she didn't like having a +anima as a patient, if she hadn't been able to keep her hatred under control…then what would've made her any different than the beasts that'd taken her sister away?

With the recent movement against the +anima, if anyone were to find out that she'd discovered one without saying anything, much less kept it in the hospital and tended to its wounds, she could be arrested for treason as well.

But…she didn't have the heart to turn him in, or to turn him away. Regardless of what he was, he seemed harmless enough…and so scared and sad. What he'd said when she'd first met him, about not having a family or a home, drifted through her mind. A lot of the rage she'd felt had turned to a sickening shame and guilt. He clearly had his problems, but if she hadn't seen the markings…she would never have known he wasn't just a normal human. And apparently, he'd decided not to even use his +anima anymore… She didn't understand what he'd meant when he said the guards might sentence him to death, but it wasn't really any of her business. Sending him off to some horrible fate or another didn't feel right.

Cooro suddenly let out a gasp as she took the rags all the way off, catching sight of the actual wound himself for the first time. It still looked awful – the torn flesh covered with dried, black blood, mixed with a few fresh, red leaks around the visible bone.

"Try to relax, okay? It will only hurt worse if you're tense." The doctor instructed, reaching down to grab clean bandages. "…I doubt you remember – you kind of fell asleep, but I brought you here right off the floor. I fixed you up a bit already, before you woke up, and now I'm finally going to properly bandage the wound. I'll put a cast on, and search for any signs of infection, but…it doesn't look too good – I think you should stay here for a while. I've actually already set it up so that you're spending several nights here, maybe even a week or two, hopefully that's okay… I promise that I won't repeat what happened earlier – I'll just treat the injury, like any doctor would."

The boy didn't answer right away. "…But I…I don't know how long I can stay here, in this village." Gabriel didn't even have to ask to know that it had to do with the guards, just as she knew that the wound wasn't merely from an accident during a hike, like the front desk workers had told her. "Then stay as long as you possibly can. You have a better chance of a complete, safe recovery if the injury is monitored and properly taken care of." "…Okay." He answered reluctantly. She could tell he wasn't completely comfortable with the idea – and she didn't blame him, neither was she, really – but he obviously wasn't up to arguing anymore.

She continued inspecting and bandaging the wound, Cooro struggling to stay still as he winced in pain.

"Those friends you mentioned are +anima too, aren't they?" The doctor asked softly, remembering that he'd used the term 'us' during the frenzy earlier. She didn't get any answer, but the silence and the way he'd dragged his gaze away from hers told her enough. "They are, huh? Don't worry…I already said I wasn't going to tell anyone."

"You can't tell them, either…" Cooro piped up quietly, looking towards the floor. "Huh? Oh, no problem there! If you don't want to tell your friends what I did to you, I'm certainly not going to argue on that one." Gabriel said surely. That suited her just fine. "No…I mean…" The boy started again, his voice beginning to quaver. "You can't tell them what I am!"

"_I…I'm...not a +anima anymore."_

Tears began to drip down his cheeks once more as the lie he'd told played over again in his memory. No. They couldn't know! He couldn't tell them! If they did find out…

"Wait… You mean…they don't know that you're a +anima?" The doctor questioned slowly, a moment passing before she realized what he meant. "But, if they are too, then why…?"

Cooro went completely silent again, not about to explain it to her. She already knew more than enough.

"Well, okay, I won't say anything at all about it." Gabriel assured, getting the hint and dropping the question as she continued bandaging the wound. "I'll pretend like nothing ever happened. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. You're just a regular person."

"…Thank you." Cooro nodded weakly, starting to sob again. The doctor blinked, forcing a reassuring smile across her face. "Hey…don't cry, okay? I absolutely _swear _that I wont turn you guys in, and I wont let anyone know anything – not even your friends. It'll be like it never happened. And again…I'm really sorry about what I did…I shouldn't have hurt you."

"No…it's all right. Just…thank you so much for not telling anyone." Cooro repeated, his gratitude genuine.

All right? The words actually left a bittersweet lump in the doctor's throat. How could he even say that? Did he hold himself that low? It wasn't all right, not at all. Even she knew that, as much as she despised +anima. Still…she said nothing more, the small hospital room completely quiet as she finished up her work.

There was a knock on the door a few minutes later, just as she completed the cast. "Umm…Dr. Gabriel?"

"What is it, Emily?" The woman called back in exasperation, recognizing the tone of the front desk worker. "I know it's passed visiting hours, but…we have some people here who really want to see the patient in this room. Is it okay if they come in, just for a few minutes?" The voice at the door explained, asking permission.

Cooro visibly perked up, looking over at the entrance in surprise.

Gabriel passed him a glance, nodding. "Yeah…it's fine. They can visit for a bit, just not for too long. We are technically closed to the public now, after all."

The door slowly creaked open in the following moment, two faces peering inside.

"Cooro!" Nana exclaimed, a relieved smile coming across her face as she caught sight of the boy lying in the hospital bed. Both her and Senri approached him quickly, trading places with the doctor as she left the room.

"…Cooro, are you all right? We didn't know they were going to check you into the hospital…" The girl questioned, concerned. Cooro's gaze fell. "Yeah…I'm okay."

Nana's momentary relief faded at the dry, quiet answer, despite the words. And it dimmed even further as she got a better look at him. He seemed extremely distressed, and she could tell he'd been sobbing from the dampness on his cheeks. There was a new bandage around his head, too. She almost took a step back. "Wait, what happened? What's wrong? Why is there a cast around your forehead?"

"Oh…this?" The boy placed a hand on the bandage distractedly. "I…I fell once. I got nervous at one point and tried to stand up… I'm fine now, though." He forced a reassuring smile. Nana didn't say anything for a moment.

He kept averting her gaze. Something _had _happened. It didn't seem like he was going to tell her exactly what, though.

She didn't like it, but she didn't want to press him any further. It would probably only upset him more. "Well…okay, if you say so. What did the doctor say?"

"She just said that she wanted me to stay here for a while, so she can keep an eye the wound...or, stay here as long as we can, anyway." Cooro added the last part with his voice lowered. "I guess that'd be a good thing, as long as you really are all right…" Nana decided, passing him another concerned look. Senri did the same, cocking his head as he looked the boy over.

"Guys, I'm fine! You don't have to worry about me." Cooro insisted, trying to sound convincing. His mock confidence disappeared a second later, though, replaced by a doubtful hint of worry as his voice quieted. "…But, you'll come see me again tomorrow, right? And you won't leave the village without me, will you? I…I like being together with you again. Please…don't leave me behind…" He looked back down to the floor, biting his bottom lip. It almost looked like he was about to start crying again. Nana blinked, surprised, before giving him a comforting grin, a warmth suddenly welling in her chest. "Of course we'll come see you! And we won't leave without you – no matter what happens. I promise." Cooro returned the smile, wiping his eyes with the back of one hand.

Gabriel couldn't help but watch from where she stood with the assistant, gazing silently through the partially open door.

Had she killed Cooro, she knew that she would never even have been punished for it. With the government suddenly going full-force against the +anima, she'd probably have remained completely innocent in the eyes of the law. She most likely would even have kept her job as a doctor. But…she was so glad she didn't have to explain to those two that their friend was dead. They obviously meant something to each other. What could she possibly have said?

She didn't think she could ever completely let go of the memory of what happened to her sister, but she was fascinated…perplexed by these +anima that acted no different from regular humans.

People killed all the time…everyday. Maybe…the +anima that had taken away her sister had been nothing more than that – regular, flawed, humans. Nothing more and nothing less… She didn't know anymore.

"Umm…we're going to leave now, but we'll be back to visit again tomorrow." The doctor was pushed out of her thoughts as the door opened on its rusty hinges again, Nana and Senri stepping out. The girl made the comment, turning to the doctor. Gabriel tried her best not to look at them strangely.

"…Okay, that's fine. Maybe you can even take him out in a wheel chair for a while, too. I doubt he's going to want to stay in that bed for the whole time… But…" She hesitated for a moment. She hadn't mentioned it to anyone, but there was else that was bothering her about him. She still didn't necessarily like of caring for a +anima, but since she'd made the decision to treat him as a normal patient, she couldn't ignore it. "I'm honestly not keeping him here just because of the foot. He's so frail… His overall condition is horrible! I want to monitor him for a while, and see if there's anything else wrong, or if there's anything we can do to make him a bit healthier. Do you have any idea why he might be so sickly?"

Nana blinked, surprised at the question. After a moment, she shook her head. "No. I knew him a long time ago too, as a child, and he wasn't like that. But since I met him again just a few days ago, he hasn't looked well at all. I don't know why though… All I know is that he was on the streets for a while, but…"

The doctor just nodded. "That's all right…we'll see what we can do. That's our job, after all. You two just go get some rest – there's a cheap inn a few blocks down the street." "Okay…we'll head there. Thank you." The girl replied respectfully.

And with that, Nana and Senri took their leave, walking down the hall and out the doors as the assistants locked up behind them for the upcoming night.

* * *

The silver-haired boy, Myrrha, tumbled out of his tiny mattress as the boat collided with another wave, grimacing in annoyance as he groggily pulled himself off the creaky floor. This time he just settled on the edge of the bed, not bothering to try sleeping again right away.

His guard squadron had boarded the ship just earlier that morning. It was relatively small, but it traveled at a good speed, and could fit through most channels and rivers – the reason it'd been chosen.

They were currently en route to a secluded, riverside village located near the mountains. According to reports, the specific group of +anima they were after had last been seen fleeing in that direction. It would be their job to seek them out, following them wherever they were to go until they caught them. …At which point, they were to be disposed of.

The boy shivered. Disposed of… They were supposed to kill them. No trial, no arrest, no nothing. His squadron was to completely do away with the group as quietly as possible, and simply burn their bodies before any questions could be asked. It was brutal! They weren't even going to let the public know once the job was done – as a matter of fact, they were ordered to keep the details of their mission hidden! Was this really how they wanted to treat +anima? Secret, unspoken killings?

He'd never heard of anything like this before. He'd do his job, since this group had supposedly already committed murders themselves, but he didn't feel good about how it was being done. He'd never been ordered to simply kill before. Always, even in cases like this, there had at least been an arrest and a trail, but, not this time… And he knew that it was only because of what they were…+anima, his own kind.

Myrrha suddenly collapsed back into the sheets with a thud, feeling completely drained.

He thought about how the sheriff had described the group they were looking for. Apparently, it was made up of a female bat +anima about the same age as him, and a male bear +anima thought to be in his early twenties. There was another person, too, who'd fled with the girl at the scene of the first murder. At the second sighting though, he'd been injured, and they'd never been able to determine for sure whether or not he was a part of the criminal group, or even a +anima at all. But either way, if they came across him during the investigation – a frail, dark-haired boy – they were to get rid of him as well without hesitation.

A bear and a bat +anima, huh? That sounded familiar. There was no way it could be them, or course, but thinking about it made him wonder what had ever happened to the friend's he'd had as a child. Being a +anima wasn't easy – had they even survived all those eight years? Were they getting caught up in all of this, too?

They would make a quick stop at a nearby city in the next few days to restock on some supplies, before heading straight for their destination. They'd probably arrive by the beginning of the coming week, and would start the hunt right away.

He sighed, burying his face into the pillow. Between his conflicting thoughts and the rocking of the boat, he had no idea how he'd ever get any sleep.

* * *

_Well...that's it for this chapter. Things are going to take another turn in the next, and Husky will start playing a bigger role, too (on a random note in response to one of the reviews, I checked the spelling of "Myrrha" and I'm pretty sure I have it spelled correctly for the Tokyopop release anyway - which is the version I've read)._

_Anyway, as always, please review, and stay tuned!_


	9. Chapter Eight: An Encounter

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_On to the still lengthy chapter eight!_

* * *

**Chapter Eight:** An Encounter

* * *

"_Burn them – burn the demons!"_

"_Purge them from the village!"_

"_Make them pay for what they've done!"_

"_But…they're only children…" _

"_How can you even think that matters now?"_

"…_Did they really have control over their actions?"_

"_What difference would that possibly make – they're dangerous!"_

"_And they aren't even human! You saw their black wings – they're messengers of death!"_

_The young boy, no older than eight, struggled amidst the jeers of the crowd, his hands tied tight to the wooden stake behind him. Helpless, horrified tears dripped down his cheeks, mingling with the flammable oils spread all over him and the straw at his feet._

_He strained his neck, desperately trying to get a look at the girl tied on the other side of the stake. "Sister…I'm scared."_

_The red-haired girl returned the gaze as best she could. She seemed so calm, despite what was happening, a bittersweet smile still brightening her lips. "Don't worry, Mirka. Death isn't the same for us as it is for them. Be strong – it will only hurt for just a little while. I'll find you! No matter how long it takes, I'll find you!" She stretched the fingers on her bound hands, entwining hers with his on the other side of the stake. _

_He didn't understand, and the boy knew he wasn't going to – even though they were the same age, she'd always been like that, she'd always seemed to know something he hadn't…but he matched his watery green eyes with hers. Their gazes met, the two children not daring to look away. "You…promise…?" The boy's voice was as hushed as a whisper, his terrified trembling rendering him hardly able to speak as he watched through the light brown strands of hair in front of his damp face. The girl nodded. "We might be apart for a while…but I won't ever stop looking for you! We _will_ be together again… I promise…"_

_The boy started to sob. He didn't understand this! He didn't understand anything! He didn't know why they'd done what they did… He didn't know what was going to happen to them. He didn't comprehend everything that she'd just said, either – only that she'd somehow be searching for him, and that was all he needed. Neither of the children ever looked away from each other, until an angry, harsh voice ripped their gazes forward. _

"_Ready the fire – let's do this now!"_

_A hush suddenly fell over the villagers, everyone watching as if in a trace as a single man walked up to the stake with a lighted torch, bending down near the straw. _

"_No – please, no!" The boy begged, his voice shaken and torn. "I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened to us! We won't ever do it again – I swear!" _

_The man never even answered, coldly avoiding the child's pleading eyes as he reached downwards and pressed the torch to the straw._

_It blazed alight in a colorful array of yellow and orange, ferocious crackling echoing as the flames devoured the kindling and began to work their up the oils. Horribly scented smoke began to spread its way through the village, the wide-eyed townspeople watching without a word as both the boy and the girl writhed, shrieking in uncontained agony._

* * *

The dark-haired boy took in a sharp, painful gasp, shooting half-way up on his palms.

He gazed frantically around, taking in the details of the strange, dim room.

What was this? He was alive? But…

He decided to stand, bringing his legs out from underneath him and the white sheets.

It was the unexpected rush of pain that came when he moved his right ankle that all at once brought him back to reality.

This was the hospital room he'd been staying at. And he was the nineteen year old Cooro. Not 'Mirka', or anyone else.

It'd just been another one of those dreams.

Cooro sighed, taking a moment to try to calm his heart-rate and breathing before carefully lowering himself back into the bed.

He was aware of the sweat dripping down from his brow, but without the ability to walk he wasn't able to do anything about it, simply staring blankly at the wall ahead of him. He didn't feel like doing anything else right now, anyway, his limbs feeling completely sapped of all strength.

That particular nightmare was one he'd had many times before – and he _hated_ it.

"_Sister…I'm scared."_

Sister… He felt sick to his stomach. She was no sister of his!

Despite the red hair and young age, he knew who that girl was. She was _her_.

In his dreams, she was a lot like him. He always recognized her, but she also had a different face, a different appearance, and even a different age. She varied in his nightmares just as much as he himself did.

"_I'll find you! No matter how long it takes, I'll find you!"_

A shiver crept up his spine, making him flinch.

That specific dream felt just slightly different than the others, somehow… They were both younger, and he knew their relationship was different.

And the fire…

He winced, almost able to feel the flames creeping up his flesh. He died in that dream. They both did.

Cooro grabbed the glass of water on the bed-side table, taking a quick sip in an attempt to clear his mind.

No. None of that mattered. None of what was said, and none of what happened. It was just a horrible dream – it meant nothing. He'd probably just had that particular nightmare because of what happened a few days ago…

He covered himself completely back up in the blanket, letting his mind wander elsewhere as he wondered what time it was.

Judging from the pale light forcing its meager way in through the curtains, he guessed that it was early morning. Regardless, he still felt exhausted. He always did after a nightmare like that. At least no one had been around when he'd first woken up this time – it always took him a few awkward moments to find reality again, or even realize who he really was.

Dr. Gabriel would probably come soon with breakfast, though. He hated not being able to do anything for himself! He was completely helpless until someone came…

He'd been staying at the hospital for over a week now. Most of the time had been spent stuck in the same bed he was currently laying in, but Nana and Senri had kept their promise and came to visit him everyday, usually taken him out for a while too. It was actually a relatively comfortable existence, and he was so glad they'd stayed with him…but…

With each night that passed, he grew more and more worried that _she_ was going to show up. He was quite surprised that she hadn't already, actually. What was she waiting for? Maybe she was still lying low, or perhaps she didn't want to make a ruckus in a hospital.

Cooro grimaced. That'd be a disaster!

It was such a terrible thing, to have to feel guilty wherever you went about simply being there…

"Cooro…?" A familiar voice sounded at the door, the entrance slowly creaking open as a woman stepped inside. Cooro shuffled as he was thrown out of his thoughts, turning distractedly to face her.

The woman smiled. "Oh, you're already awake. Good morning!"

"Good morning, Dr. Gaby…" He replied with a yawn.

The doctor had kept her word, too. She'd hadn't said a thing about what had happened on his first day at the office, or even acted like it'd ever taken place. Thank goodness…

He'd actually come to end up rather fond of the doctor. She treated him kindly – keeping him well-feed and always doing what she could to make sure he was comfortable.

Cooro watched as Gabriel grabbed hold of the wheel chair parked in the corner of the room, bringing it near his bed. "Your friends are waiting out in the lobby." She explained. "They wanted to take you out for breakfast. How, does that sound?"

"Huh? That sounds great!" The boy answered with a brief smile, waiting for his doctor to help him into the wheel chair.

Maybe getting out of this room for a while would do him some good.

* * *

Senri pushed the wheel chair containing Cooro up to the table, going around to the other side to sit down as Nana took a third spot. A waiter passed them menus just a moment later, giving them a few minutes to decide on their breakfast.

"I think I'm going to have an omelet, with some strawberry crepes too." Nana announced, licking her lips. "What are you going to have, Cooro? Me and Senri have been making quite a bit of money at the inn, so we have enough to get whatever we want." "Uhh…that sounds good actually, maybe I'll get that too…" It took him a moment to answer. "Hmm…what's wrong?" Nana asked, noticing as his gaze fell slightly downcast.

"It's just…I'm sorry to make you work so hard. It's my fault, isn't it? The only reason why you're staying here and have to pay for the inn is because of me, and you have to pay for the hospital's bills, too… I'm not even able to help…"

Nana frowned. "You really need to stop blaming yourself for everything. It's not like you wanted to get hurt, and neither me or Senri have anywhere else to go anyway now. This is a nice little village, I like it, and everything is pretty cheap here – we're actually making more money than we're spending on both the inn and the hospital, so it's doing us good. We need to work while we can… With this new movement against +anima…who knows if…" Her voice trailed off at that, ending the conversation.

"Hey…Cooro…" She piped up again a few moments later, after the three of them had their orders taken. Her tone betrayed her hesitation. "What are you going to do after you get better? Wherever we end up going, me and Senri will probably stay together, at least for now…but, how about you? Are you going to go back to Taru again? Or find somewhere else to stay? Maybe you'd be better off that way…" Cooro tensed, obviously taken aback. "You mean…you want me to leave?" His gaze fell again. "You don't want me with you anymore…do you? I guess that makes sense…I am just a burden…"

"No, no!" Nana insisted, seeing him start to tear up. "It's not that at all! You're welcome to stay with us if that's what you want. It's just…you might be safer if you don't, with the guards after us and all. I still don't know why you even left Taru to begin with, but…since you aren't a +anima anymore, I doubt the guards would recognize you if you weren't with us…and as far as the whole mess against +anima in general goes, you could just stay out of it that way. There's no reason you should have to get involved."

"Oh…" Cooro answered dryly, subconsciously giving an anxious shuffle. "Err… I…"

What was he going to say? What _was_ he going to do?

He _wanted_ to stay with them. He wanted to so badly.

For the past three years, he hadn't really had anywhere to belong. Even when he'd been with Taru's huge group, he'd been so lonely… No one even cared when he disappeared. None of them gave a second thought to what could possibly have happened to him, and they would be completely indifferent if he came back now. It was such an empty feeling.

Being with Nana and Senri felt different. Maybe it was more because of the past than what he was now, but they cared about him. They really did. They were waiting in the village for him to get better, paying the hospital and visiting everyday. He doubted there was a single other person in the world that would do that for him.

But… It was just as _she_ had said. He was being selfish. Their kindness kept him with them…but he was lying to them, and above all else, putting them in danger just by being there. He probably should never even have asked them to stay in the village. He thought of what happened to Yumea, the only other friend he'd had in the last few years, and of how Nana had been threatened that night on the orchard. She'd already lost her own home and comfortable life due to the fact that he'd stayed just that one, single night with her… The event that seemed to have triggered everything.

It wasn't fair! All he wanted was to stay with his friends – why was that such a horrible, selfish wish? It wasn't fair at all!

"I…" Cooro sputtered without answering, his eyes distant. A tear dribbled down his face.

"Cooro…?" Both Nana and Senri passed him looks of concern and bewilderment. "Uh…" Nana was about to say something else when a voice called from the distance.

"Nana! Senri! Get over here for a minute! Some guests just left a room completely trashed – stupid tourists! They even spilled milk on the bed-sheets! I need you to come help me clean this up! This kind of thing is what I'm paying you for!"

"O..oh…" Nana called back, turning in surprise towards the direction of the inn just across the street. "Uh…okay! We'll be right there!" Both her and Senri stood up, ready to leave. Nana looked back to Cooro once more as she headed off. "Umm…we'll hurry, okay? This shouldn't take too long. We'll probably be back before the food even gets here – if not just start without us, and we'll be there as soon as we can!" "…Right back…" Senri added in agreement, the two of them heading back towards the inn they'd been staying at for the past week or so.

Senri and Nana had gotten a job with the inn-keeper, mostly cooking and cleaning, to help pay for the expenses and even earn a little extra gillah, but that man sure worked them hard. Especially considering that it wasn't even that busy. Oh well, at least it didn't seem terribly difficult for them.

Momentarily alone again, Cooro wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, gazing around the outdoor café in an attempt to keep his anxious mind occupied. His eyes came to rest on the sky above him.

He hated being completely stuck there, not able to leave even if he wanted to until they got back. It was times like this when it was so tempting to spread his wings once more and take to the sky – to move freely again with the wind in his face. But…no, he couldn't. It would only make everything worse. Much worse!

Cooro bit his bottom lip, forcibly dragging his gaze back down to the people around him. It was then something caught his eye.

A boy with silver hair was standing in line, looking to be right about the same age as him and Nana. He'd just come in, waiting by the to-go counter instead of claiming a table. Cooro found himself trying to catch a glimpse of the boy's face, his heart suddenly jumping when he saw him.

It…couldn't really be _him_, though, could it?

Nevertheless, he kept watching the other boy, suddenly realizing that he'd received the sandwich he ordered and was about to leave the store. "H…hey, wait!" Cooro called without thinking as the boy with silver hair started to disappear out the door. He regretted calling out as soon as the words had left his mouth, a bit louder than intended too, but the boy had indeed heard him, turning around and taking a few steps back inside in confusion. Cooro stifled a gasp as he saw his face for the first time. He really did look like…!

The other boy, however, didn't seem to notice the dark-haired face watching him from the wheel chair. Cooro was slightly taken aback, almost having expected the other boy to recognize him instantly. But instead, he started to walk out of the restaurant once more. "Wait!" Cooro called again, the words blurting out before he had a chance to stop them. "…Husky…?"

Cooro literally put a hand to his mouth as the name escaped his lips, embarrassed for assumedly letting his imagination get carried away. But the silver-haired boy almost jumped out of his skin, completely freezing in place as he whipped back around.

Myrrha looked around the café with wide, shocked eyes. No one he knew ever used that name anymore – none of guard squadron even knew it! Who in the world…?

A boy in a wheel chair was staring at him from across the restaurant, with a surprised and equally wide, terribly anxious gaze.

He hadn't picked out the dark-haired boy from the crowd earlier, but now that he looked at him…he did look a bit like… Myrrha took a few steps closer to the onlooker, both of their eyes meeting as they silently held each other's stare.

No. He realized he'd been mistaken as he got a better look at the other boy, seconding guessing himself. The person in the wheel chair wasn't Cooro.

They did bear a striking resemblance, but somehow the whole presence of the person sitting below him seemed completely different. The dark-haired boy looked extremely weak, and Myrrha wasn't sure if he was in that wheel chair because of some terrible sickness or because of an injury the bandage on his right leg gave away. His whole body seemed frail and shaky, his eyes filled with a strange anxiety and fear. No, he confirmed in his mind once more. His first instinct had been foolish. This definitely wasn't the same vibrant, bright-eyed boy he'd once known as a child.

But then…how had this person known that name?

"Done!" A girl's voice chimed happily, Myrrha's head turning as the owner padded up to the other boy's table, a slightly older man following right behind her. "Oh good, the food's not here yet! See, we're getting pretty fast!" She was speaking to the dark-haired boy, about to take a seat when she realized her companion's attention was directed at someone else.

She raised her gaze in confusion, all at once catching sight of what the other boy was looking at. Both her and Myrrha took in a simultaneous startled gasp as they fully noticed each other, the man next to her following soon after.

Myrrha stumbled backwards in surprise, catching his tense footing again a moment later. No way! It seemed completely outrageous…but these two people, he recognized. Could it really, possibly, be _them_ though…? He forced the names from his stuttering lips. "…Nana? …Senri?"

The light-brown haired girl blinked in disbelief, mirroring his amazement as she stared back. "…Husky?" None of them said anything for a few moments.

"Uh…" Husky finally stuttered with a nod. A startled smile came across the girl's face. "…Wow, it's…been a long time!

"Y…yeah…" He agreed, still hardly able to comprehend who he was looking at. "…What are you doing here?" He heard Nana ask.

"I'm…here for work." Husky answered vaguely as his heart rate started to calm, not eager to explain to them that he worked for the guards now, and especially not that he'd been sent there to seek out and kill a group of their own kind. Undoubtedly, his old friends had probably been affected greatly by the increasing onslaught against +anima – a movement that his own work-force had been creating. "…What about you?" He asked back, quick to draw attention away from himself. "Why are you two together? …And who's this?" He gestured down towards the boy in the wheel chair who'd remained staring up at him, still not understanding how this person had recognized him as well. Was he someone his old companions had told about him?

"Umm…" Nana stuttered in surprise at the last question, obviously taken aback. She was about to respond when the dark-haired boy suddenly pulled himself up straighter, his eyes full of shock and hurt. "Husky, it's _me_ – Cooro!" He blurted out unhappily. "You…remember me too, don't you…?" His gaze fell downcast, looking like was about to start crying.

Oops. It...really _was_ him after all? Seriously? Husky just stared at the frail, sickly boy in the wheel chair. What the heck had happened to his third childhood friend?

"Cooro…? I… Of course I remember you!" Husky sputtered, both surprised at his mistake and bewildered at the boy's strong, teary-eyed reaction. "I...just didn't recognize you at first…"

But then, if that boy _was_ Cooro, then he'd just run into all three of his old companions – together! Nana, Cooro, and Senri… He gazed at them for a moment without a word – the faces he'd once seen everyday, yet had parted from eight years ago, were all alive and gathered before him once again, returning his stare. It seemed…surreal.

"…That's okay…" A small voice piped up, dragging him back to a sense of reality. The dark-haired boy that was apparently Cooro forced a smile across his face. "I'm just glad that you haven't forgotten me…"

"…Husky…" Senri finally repeated, getting up and coming to stand by the person he'd known as a child.

"No, I haven't forgotten anything. But…" Husky confirmed, stiffening uncomfortably as Senri gave him a slight sniff and a good looking over. He took a brief step away from his oldest former companion. "Why are you three all together? Did something happen that I missed?"

Nana shook her head. "Not exactly. We've only been together again for a little over a week." She explained simply, not quite answering the full question. "But why? And why are you here?" Husky pressed, still shocked at the whole situation. He wanted to know what had brought his three old friends to be with each other once more.

"Umm…" Nana stole a few nervous glances around before walking closer to him, lowering her anxious voice to hardly more than a whisper. "It's…a long story…but we're trying to escape from the guards. They think we committed some murders, and are after us specifically – I don't really know what we're going to do…"

It took Nana a moment to notice the shocked, horrified look on Husky's face.

The description the captain of the guards had given of the small group they were after echoed in his mind. A female bat +anima about age eighteen, a slightly older, male bear +anima, and another frail, dark-haired boy, unconfirmed to be a +anima or not, that had been seen with the other two.

No! It really was them! But…it couldn't be!

More of the sheriff's words continued drifting through his memory. Kill them. Stab them. Slash their throats. Dispose of them. Burn their bodies to ashes. Speak of it to no one.

A trembling hand flew to his mouth, the boy taking a few steps backward.

"…Husky?" Nana blinked, confused. "What's wrong?"

"You…it's the three of you!" Husky stuttered, hardly able to believe it. He reached down with shaky fingers towards his pockets. He wasn't in uniform, but he always carried his squadron symbol around just as he was required to. He pulled out the badge, showing it to his childhood companions as their eyes simultaneously took on a look of startled horror – they'd just revealed themselves. "You have to run! We…I'm a part of a guard division from Astar – we were sent here to find you! We're ordered to…we're demanded to _kill _you!"

"Husky…you're?" Nana had a panicked hand over her mouth, stumbling away as well. "We're not murderers!" She suddenly burst out, catching herself a moment later and lowering her voice as she got a few random stares. "Please, you have to believe us! Don't tell anyone we're here! We didn't do anything wrong! I swear!"

The silver-haired guard said nothing, still partially in shock.

"Please…" Nana continued to plead. "We did free the +anima from that guard station in the city across the forest, but we never hurt anybody! And you can't object to that, can you? We did it to save Senri! There's this crazy, black-winged witch that committed the murders we're being blamed for!"

Husky still remained silent.

Nana had tears dripping down her face now. "I would never have hurt Niomi – the woman at the merchant shop. She was like a mother to me! Please, you have to believe us…"

"I don't know who I believe…" Husky finally replied, no longer able to meet their gazes. "But I'm not going to report you – I won't be a part of that. But you have to run!" He repeated. "My whole squadron just arrived here less than an hour ago, looking specifically for you – you're not safe here anymore! You have to run! Just get out of here!"

"Husky…" Nana tried to comprehend the mixed emotions in his eyes, not quite sure what to think now.

"Just hurry and leave!" Husky ordered. "Don't get me involved in this!"

Nana, Senri, and Cooro just stared at him for a moment longer.

"What are you waiting for, just go!" He urged harshly, looking down.

This time he heard them all shuffle, moving from the table. Senri grabbed Cooro's wheel chair, the three of them turning and scurrying out of the building without another word.

It was Cooro that looked back as they exited through the door, Husky careful not to meet his eyes.

_Just run, okay! Don't make me choose between you and the only way of living I have!_

Deep down, Husky knew that it was useless. His three old friends were doomed. Even if it wasn't his division of the squadron that found them, one surely would. Once they got the orders, the Astar guards never rested until they'd fulfilled their mission. Eventually, probably quite soon, he would hear a report that the target group had been destroyed and burned.

He already felt sick. But at least…if he kept quiet, he didn't have to have a part in that.

_Run… Survive if you can… Just please, don't get me involved in this! Don't ever let me find you!_

He subconsciously balled his hands into fists, frustrated at the unwanted tears that he knew were appearing on his face.

A part of the guard had wanted to believe that this group of +anima they'd been sent after were killers, that way, the brutal actions of his work-force would have been at least partly justified. But… Nana…Cooro…Senri? Could he really ever believe that they…?

Damn it!

He kicked the door on his way out, his breath coming in troubled, upset rasps.

* * *

Dr. Gabriel padded about her office, readying it for the next patient. She got the paperwork prepared, changing the paper cover on the bed and swapping her hygienic gloves.

A knock sounded on the wooden entrance.

Gabriel blinked. That was odd. It was probably the nurse with the next patient, but usually they waited until she was finished getting ready before they called anyone to the room.

"Umm…just a second, I'm not quite ready yet – but you can come in."

The door creaked open, and a uniformed man stepped inside. It only took her a moment to realize this wasn't a patient. Her heart jumped. This was a guard on duty…and she could guess why he was there.

"Oh…umm…hello, sir. Can I help you?" She sputtered, trying not to sound alarmed.

"Are you Dr. Gabriel?" The man asked. "Yes." She nodded. "And you've heard about the recent push to take all the Astarian +anima into custody, right?" She nodded once more.

"Well…" The man started. "There have been a couple of incidents at the city just across the forest and the village near there. There is a small gang of +anima going around that have broken into the guard station and caused a jail break of their kind, but beyond that, they have already committed several murders."

"M…murders?" Gabriel echoed, a hand going to her mouth in genuine shock.

"Yes." The man confirmed gravely. "They slew several of the guards at the prison station, and killed a woman that ran a merchant shop in the nearby village. They're considered a very dangerous threat."

He took a few steps closer. "Let me get to the point, I'm Joseph, captain of the guards from Astar. Me and an elite squadron of mine have been sent to exterminate these rouges, and to help this area recover from the break in. We have reason to believe that the wanted group fled the city in the direction of this village a little over a week ago. There are three confirmed targets – two of which are a female bat +anima with light-brown hair, believed to be in her late teens and present at both murders, and a male, gray-haired bear +anima thought to be in his early twenties. He was among the captured +anima that were freed, having originally been sent for execution following an earlier assault on the guards, and was present at the second murder scene where he was seen fleeing in company of the girl. However, the third target is why we are coming to you. It's a young male also thought to be around the age of eighteen or nineteen, it's unconfirmed whether or not he is a +anima as well, but he was spotted with the others at both crime scenes and it's known he associates with them. At the last sighting, though, this boy was wounded. So…if the group really did flee to this village, it doesn't seem unlikely that they ended up right here at this hospital. The boy is quite frail and has dark hair, and we believe that it was his ankle that was injured – do you have, or have you seen, any patients matching this description?"

"Uh…" The doctor didn't answer for a moment, debating with herself on what she should do.

So, this was what Cooro had meant when he said the guards were after him and his friends specifically…

She shivered. She'd grown to like the boy, and the two people that came to visit him. They didn't seem any different from regular humans. She'd begun to think about the +anima in general from another angle.

But…murder? They were being chased for _murder_?

Was that really true? Had she been right the first time, then? Were all +anima, including ones like them, really just killers?

She didn't think she believed that anymore, though. +Anima and regular humans seemed to be the same – some were kindred, and some were not. However, the three young people she'd seen in the hospital didn't seem like awful, beastly killers. The boy, as anxious and meek as he was, had a kind heart – she'd come to realize that after spending more time working with him. Maybe these guards were reacting no differently than she first had – maybe they were wrong.

And exterminate…he meant _kill_. She gulped.

"No. I haven't seen anyone like that." Gabriel answered simply, praying that the three +anima were still out of the office.

The guard made a slight face. "Are you positive? We talked to the other doctor, and he said to ask you – that he'd seen you caring for a young, injured boy."

"Yes, I'm positive." The doctor stated surely. "There was one boy here a little while ago, but he doesn't match the description. He lives here with his family, and was only sixteen – it was his back, not his leg, that was injured, too." She tried not to look away as she lied, telling him about another patient she'd had earlier that week.

"And you are aware that there are consequences for lying to the government?" The man reminded threateningly. "I know – I'm fully aware." Gabriel agreed. "Very well then, I'll take your word for now, but please let us know if you see anything. Based on some information I heard from the guards in the city where we stopped on the way here, there's an abandoned war fortress bordering the western sea where rouge +anima seem to be gathering – the threat they pose to us as a country is starting to increase. We can't let any dangerous individuals run loose – we have to stop as many as we can while we're still able to without much trouble."

"A war fortress?" Dr. Gabriel pressed further. "Yeah, some of the rebels seemed to be orchestrating something there since Astaria has started moving against +anima. It's believed that some have even come down from Sailand. If we aren't careful, this could turn into a full-scale war!" The sheriff warned gravely, his face seething in anger.

"Well, I'll be sure to keep my eyes open, then." The woman promised. "I'll definitely report if I see anything." "Good." The guard agreed. "I better get back to my search. Thank you, ma'am."

With that, he stepped out, leaving a slightly shaky Gabriel alone in her office once more.

Lying to none other than the capital's captain of the guards – what had she done?

* * *

Nana, Senri, and Cooro hurried to the hospital, having already picked up the belongings they'd left at the inn and dismissed themselves from their part time job. Now they just needed to pay the doctor and pick up what they'd been keeping there before they took their leave from the riverside village.

"Ooh…that bastard!" Nana fumed aloud as they made their way down the main street, referring to Husky.

"But he didn't really do anything…" Cooro pointed out from the wheel chair Senri was pushing.

"Not done anything? He's working for the guards! The government that's trying to take all of the +anima – his own kind, into custody! He's a traitor!" Nana insisted bitterly. She realized that she didn't even know whether or not he was still a +anima, or if, like Cooro, he'd lost it sometime since the four of them had parted, but either way, it didn't matter! He still had no business being a part of something like that!

Cooro's eyes fell slightly downcast. "I know…but…staying with the guards is probably the only livelihood he has. He probably joined them before any of this happened – it's not really his fault. I doubt he wants this. …After all, he said he wasn't going to tell anyone about us. If anyone finds out he saw us without reporting, he could be in huge trouble!"

Nana didn't budge, grimacing. "You actually believe him?"

"I do." Cooro assured innocently, something about his sureness and his voice making Nana stand still for a moment. "I know that he's not going to tell anyone. He wants us to escape!"

Nana looked at her feet, shuffling. "Well, either way…we can't really stay here anymore… Let's just go, like he said." Her tone was quiet as she spoke. "Sorry, Cooro, it doesn't look like you'll be able to stay in the hospital anymore…" "That's all right. It's not like I wanted to be there to begin with." The boy answered. "Besides, I think I'm okay…and now you won't have to keep paying for it, either. I still don't think I can walk…though…"

The girl nodded. "Don't worry about that – we'll figure something out… That is, if you really do want to come with us…"

"Yeah…I would like to stay with you… If…if you don't mind…" Cooro answered, trying not to show the sense of guilt welling in his chest on his face.

Nana passed him a brief smile. "No, of course you can come!"

Actually, though she'd never say so out loud, having him around sometimes did make things a bit harder, especially now that he couldn't even walk, but… She couldn't help feeling that the three of them had ended up back together for a reason – if he wanted to come, she wouldn't leave him behind. Besides…he had helped her, too. She probably would have been captured in her orchard cabin that terrible night had he not aided her escape…

"Okay…" Cooro decided dryly. He couldn't help but swallow hard. He was being selfish, he knew that, and he could only pray things didn't turn out badly for Nana and Senri because of him. But he just didn't think he could handle watching them leave without him. Besides…what would he do then? He'd be stuck in the hospital without his friends, and he'd still have no home to return to afterwards – ne never would, as long as he had to keep moving to run from _her_. And considering that he was, in fact, still a +anima, he wouldn't really be as safe alone as they thought. He'd stay with them…for just a little bit longer…at least.

"All right, then let's hurry." Nana suddenly prompted, picking up speed again. They had already wasted enough time.

They made it the hospital quickly, Nana taking their gillah and heading up to the front desk with the payment right away.

Before she even reached the desk, though, movement caught the corner of her eye. She looked to the hallway, turning to find Dr. Gabriel beckoning them over. The three of them exchanged a glance before heading over to meet her.

"This way." The doctor prompted quietly, leading them back to Cooro's room. She closed the door once they were all in.

"The captain of the guards came to me earlier." Gabriel started urgently. "He said him and some others were sent from Astar specifically in search of you – they'll kill you! I didn't tell him anything about you, but you guys have to get out of here now!"

"We know…" Nana answered unenthusiastically, not wanting to hear about all this more than she had to.

"But…" Gabriel took the hint, but still continued, moving on slightly. "He said something interesting. He said that there was an abandoned war fortress where free +anima are gathering, somewhere by the western sea, I think. Maybe that would be the safest place for you to go?"

"Huh? Really?" The girl blinked, intrigued now. She hadn't heard anything about that.

"Yeah." The doctor answered. "He didn't say much else about it, but it sounds like it's pretty serious. I guess even +anima from Sailand are going there."

"Hmm…we might look into that. Thanks for the tip." Nana smiled, but then it disappeared instantly when something struck her, turning into a look of shocked, alarmed bewilderment. "Wait a second! How the heck did you know that we're –?"

"Uh…" Gabriel stuttered, searching for an answer. In her panic after having the sheriff come by, she'd completely forgotten that two of the three people in front of her didn't know what she knew. Apparently, they'd been too distracted to even notice how odd the conversation was at first, either.

Cooro passed her a discreet, pleading look, trying to silently remind her not to mention what she'd discovered about him.

"Well I…" She paused, forcing a wry smile across her lips. "I'm a doctor. I can tell these things just by looking at you." She was careful to direct her gaze only towards her patient's two friends when she made the comment.

Nana and Senri just blinked, slightly disturbed. Nana decided not to press the issue any further though, as long as she hadn't told anyone about them – which she apparently hadn't – it didn't really matter right then.

"Well…okay, I guess we'll just pay and get going." The girl decided, turning to leave.

"Wait!" The doctor prompted, causing the group to halt. "Don't worry about paying. I didn't do much except for monitor the wound – you guys might need that money, so I don't feel good about taking it."

"Really, you'll let us keep it? Wow, thank you so much!" Nana responded in surprise, genuinely grateful.

"Yeah." Gabriel nodded. It was true that they might need it…and it felt odd to charge them after what'd happened during her patient's first day there. "And…take these, too…" She reached into a pocket in her gown, pulling out three knives she'd gathered there after the sheriff had left.

"Knives?" Nana wondered aloud as the doctor passed one of the sharp weapons to each of the three of them.

"They're for medical purposes, but they've never been used… Please, don't misuse them…but I feel like you should have something for self defense…if need be." Dr. Gabriel explained.

Cooro just stared at the knife that had been placed in his hands, his eyes opening wider as the jagged, silver object gleamed in front of him.

_Crimson liquid painted the rough, stone walls and floor, a few stray black feathers sticking to the blood like glue. He stood there trembling in horror, hardly able to breath. He was sticky and sweaty, splattered with red, and with an awful, salty taste in his mouth. There was a silver gleam near his hands._

Nana, Senri, and Gabriel all turned their heads abruptly as the sound of metal hitting the floor echoed through the small room. Cooro had tears in his eyes.

"I don't want it…" He spoke the words so quietly they were barely audible, staring unmoving straight ahead with horrified, distant eyes.

No one else said anything, staring at the boy with gazes stretched wide.

"But…" Dr. Gabriel finally started, obviously bewildered. "It's just for self-defense, that's all."

"I don't want it… I don't want it! I don't want it!" Cooro repeated over again, his voice rising practically to a scream. He was shaking now, pressed against the back of the wheel chair with his head in his hands.

"Cooro! Stop!" Nana ran up to him, trying to calm the boy down while the confused Senri just stared down at him wide-eyed from where he held the chair. "If you don't want one, then I suppose you don't have to have one… I'll just take it…" She picked up the knife from the floor, figuring it was best to act like nothing was wrong as Cooro's breathing started to calm once more. "I guess you couldn't really fight without being able to stand up, anyway…"

"Err…" The doctor piped up again, a bit more hesitantly this time. "Why don't you go ahead and keep that wheel chair, too? It's still too early to say if he'll make a complete recovery or not, but it's much more likely if his ankle doesn't get jarred around too much. The wheel chair is probably better for him than being carried."

"Oh? All right, that might help a lot." Nana accepted, this time the three of them preparing to leave for real. "Thanks again for everything, Dr. Gabriel!" She passed the woman a farewell grin as she headed out the room's door, Senri just nodding. "Stay safe, all of you." The doctor called back.

"…Goodbye, Dr. Gaby…" Cooro waved as Senri pushed the wheel chair back into the hallway, a hint of sadness in his still shaky voice. "Goodbye, Cooro." The doctor waved back with a small smile as her patient disappeared through the doorway.

Gabriel stayed by herself as they left, that delicate grin still lingering on her face.

It felt strange to be helping +anima, especially with the threat of war between them apparently haunting the horizon, but… Sending three people that she believed in her heart were innocent to death wouldn't have been right. She was helping them to survive, she'd done the right thing. Surely her sister would've agreed to that.

She almost laughed inside. She'd miss that strange boy, actually, and his couple of friends.

Dr. Gabriel felt good about what she'd done. She'd be praying for their survival.

* * *

The hunted group of three reluctantly left the village behind without looking back – they had no other option but to leave. Already they'd noticed the large number of guards lurking around…they needed to get as far away from there as possible while they still could.

"Cooro…" Nana piped up as they headed towards the west. She didn't exactly know where they should go, but that fortress the doctor had mentioned sounded intriguing – they may as well continue in that general direction, for now. "You didn't tell Dr. Gabriel that me and Senri were +anima, did you?"

"No, of course not! Why would I do that?" Cooro blurted defensively, trying to relax his tone before continuing. He looked away. "But…she's pretty sharp. Maybe she caught a glimpse of your markings…or something…"

Nana didn't say anything else, still unconvinced about how the doctor could've known. Normally, she would've questioned Cooro further, but…after the knife incident, she decided that it might be best to let it go for now.

"Well, let's just keep going for a while. We'll camp out tonight, and maybe look into that abandoned fortress she mentioned by the western sea." She decided, changing the subject.

The other two nodded in agreement, continuing in their haste to leave behind the riverside village.

* * *

"Myrrha!"

The silver-haired boy flinched at the rough voice that could only belong to his captain. "…Yes."

"Get yourself ready, we're going out to search the western foothills surrounding the village." The sheriff explained.

"Huh, why?" Myrrha inquired, not particularly wanting to have much to do with his squadron right then.

"We've received reports from a couple of civilians that a group of three youths matching the description were seen departing the village in that direction. We're going to hunt them out!"

"O…okay…" The boy sputtered, trying to keep his hesitation and alarm out of his voice. He knew there was no way out of it.

He picked up his bladed staff, the weapon suddenly seeming much colder than ever before when he thought about who it was currently meant for.

_Nana, Cooro, Senri… Please, don't let us find you…_

_

* * *

_

Now they're on the run again...and their first run in with Husky could have turned out better for them, too...but that's of course not the end of it!

Stay tuned, and let me know what you think!


	10. Chapter Nine: A Conflict And A Choice

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_All right, here's the ninth full chapter!_

* * *

**Chapter Nine: **A Conflict And A Choice

* * *

Cooro let his gaze travel nervously from each corner of the field and back again, subconsciously pressing his hands against his shoulders as they suddenly started to burn, the still mild sensation running lightly down his arms.

The three of them had been pressing forward for quite a while since leaving the village, and the morning had gradually made its way to late afternoon. They'd gone straight through the grassy plain that'd surrounded the village, and were still sticking fairly close to the shore of the river – a way of crossing the wide body of water never made available. The field was slowly starting to become more wooded again, and a couple of hills bordered the area…though there wasn't much in the way of brush or thorns, a few bold, tall trees pointed straight from the clear grass towards the sky, becoming thicker in number as the small group continued on their way.

He was still in the wheel chair, the ground remaining open enough for that to be the easiest way to get him around.

The western sea… If they kept following the river, eventually crossing over to the less mountainous area on the other side, that should be were they'd eventually come out – they actually weren't all that far away, so it was definitely worth a look. They had no way of knowing whether or not there was any truth to the rumor they'd heard about the +anima gathering there, but there were supposedly war ruins near the area…and even if the idea turned out to be false, there would most likely be other villages somewhere along the beach.

But…they were being followed, he realized with a shiver. _She_ was nearby. She wasn't terribly close – he doubted that she could see them, but she was still in the general premise somewhere.

Cooro could have cursed. She hadn't shown herself at all during the time he'd spent in the riverside village, which had been strange because she often did whenever he lingered somewhere for more than a week. But now, just when he'd decided to continuing going on with Nana and Senri, she had to appear again… He'd known she was going to…but her silence while he'd been in the hospital had given him a false, subconscious sense of hope. Maybe he should've tried to stay away from his friends after all…

For now, though, the sky was still bright with daylight – she'd probably leave him be until it got dark, that's what she always did. If he was lucky…perhaps she would still wait to make a move – there had to be a reason she'd been keeping her distance lately, maybe she would for a while longer. That was the only hope had. Unable to even move himself away from the others, there would be little he could do to keep his companions out of it if she decided to show up. A shiver spread down his spine.

Nana looked back as she walked, noticing Cooro's eyes darting fearfully from tree to tree, and his shoulders covered by his palms. "Hmm? Cooro? Is something wrong? Are your shoulders hurting for some reason?"

"Huh?" He sputtered, his startled gaze flying forward to meet hers. "O…oh, no. Nothing. I'm fine." He made a point of taking his hands away from the base of his neck, continually staring straight ahead with a meek attempt at a smile.

Nana was still unconvinced – she had been to a degree even since the incident with the knife when they'd left the hospital, and now it was especially obvious that something specific was bothering him. It didn't seem like he wanted to talk about what, though.

The whole thing was actually making her a bit nervous herself – the way he was constantly looking around with those wide, weary eyes, as if something could jump out at any moment. The ever-present fear in his eyes was blazing brighter again too, different than the subdued trace it usually lingered at.

That made her think about what the doctor had said… When Cooro had first been submitted into the hospital, Dr. Gabriel had told her and Senri that she'd be looking for any signs of what could be making the boy so frail. She hadn't found anything in particular though, and the last time the two of them had seen her alone, the doctor had simply said that, from what she could tell, it was mostly equated to a strange, constant anxiety and stress. That, and a complete lack of effort to take care of himself on his part. She'd said that through the whole time he'd been there, he'd never once done anything to keep himself clean, or even brush his hair, and that he'd never ask for more blankets, or water, or _anything_, unless she asked first. He just didn't seem to care about himself at all…

Nana kept walking forward, but her gaze traveled discretely back to the boy, a slight sadness in her eyes. Maybe that would explain why he was so quick to blame himself for everything, to call himself nothing but a burden. …Did he really feel like that? But why? What would make him feel that way? Nana bit her bottom lip – no matter what, it wasn't right for anyone to think of themselves as worthless…

She didn't say anything though, instead placing a hand on her aching stomach as it let out a slight growl. She stopped. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving!" She remarked, trying to keep her voice as light-hearted as possible. "We had to leave the café without ever really getting breakfast…and now it'd normally be about time for dinner! We've come a pretty long way already… Maybe we should stop to rest and eat for a little while, what do you think?"

Senri nodded briefly a moment later, coming to a halt himself. "Uh…" Cooro sputtered for a moment, taking another wide-eyed, nervous glance around. "O…okay." He answered quietly, twiddling his fingers anxiously as they searched for somewhere comfortable to stop.

They settled beneath a couple of trees, Nana and Senri resting on a small cluster of rocks while Cooro remained in the wheel chair. Planning to continue on further before dark, they didn't have time to build a fire, but the three of them each dug through the bag that'd been hanging off the chair's handles, pulling out a few pieces of fruit and dried meat that they'd brought along from the village.

"So…I wonder what this abandoned fortress will be like? That is, if that rumor Dr. Gabriel told us is really true. If not we'll probably have to try to hide somewhere by the beach villages…" Nana pondered aloud, trying to break the silence. Senri was as wordless as ever, and Cooro's gaze was still darting anxiously around. A little conversation wouldn't hurt to lighten things up. "It would be pretty amazing though, wouldn't it? To see all the +anima gathered there for rebellion, even from Sailand! Of course I would rather all of this not happen, but it's still about time, I think! I wonder if we'll run into anyone else we know?"

"If they'll even let me in…" Cooro remarked dryly, not meeting her gaze. Of course, he _could_ prove he was a +anima and get admitted, but not while keeping his act that he wasn't one anymore still going… And he wasn't about to break that.

"Oh...that's right…" Nana blinked, reminding herself once more that Cooro had lost his +anima. She hadn't even thought about that. "Well… You were a +anima – we can vouch for that, and maybe there'll be other people there that might remember you from before, too. I'm sure they'll still let you in – it's not like you'd betray us, like…" Her voice trailed off. _Like Husky. _She finished bitterly in her mind, but chose to keep to words silent, not wanting to bring up that whole topic again. She could guess that her companions knew what she'd been going to say, though.

Cooro never brought his gaze back up, his eyes suddenly falling blankly to his feet. "…He didn't even recognize me…" He remarked solemnly, his voice no louder than a whisper. "Am I really that different now? So much that he didn't even know who I was?"

Nana didn't answer right away, taken aback by the question. "Well, it has been eight years…" She started slowly, slightly uncomfortable. "Everyone's bound to change a bit when it's been that long, especially since we were just kids before. But…I'm sure that it was mostly the wheel chair that threw him off. After all, we both recognized you! Right, Senri?"

"Cooro…" Senri confirmed, placing a hand on the dark-haired boy's shoulder.

He looked up for a moment at the bear +anima, surprised, before his eyes sunk back down to the ground beneath him. He didn't say anything else.

"A…anyway…" Nana sputtered, trying to change the subject again. "We should probably finish up our snacks and get going again. We need to make sure we save most of it, too – who knows when we'll be able to stock back up?"

Her male companions both nodded unenthusiastically in agreement, the group of three trying to quickly get their fill of the food in their hands.

* * *

"Hey, Myrrha, come on!"

The silver-haired boy padded along listlessly after the rest of his squadron, forcing himself to pick up just enough speed to avoid getting left behind completely when he heard the captain's angry voice call back to him.

"R…right…"

His feet felt like lead. He wanted to collapse and remain right there in the middle of the field, his desire for all of this to just disappear sapping the strength from his limbs. But no matter how hard he wished, it wasn't going to call off the search.

He didn't want to do this… His heart felt heavy in his chest, beating far too loudly and quickly as sweat dripped down from his brow. He didn't want to do this!

_Please…please, don't let us find them! _He begged to no one in particular as he forced himself to press forward, keeping step with the other guards. They'd been walking for hours, all the way to the point when the grassy plains outside the village started to turn back into a thin forest, and so far, they'd seen nothing.

"Wait…look!"

He tensed, the whole division coming to a halt when one of the other guards on the outer edge suddenly piped up in a hush, pointing down the wooded hill they stood on to a mostly clear area down below. The rest of his squadron, him included, clustered nearby, following their companion's gaze.

Myrrha's hope was shattered immediately, his already fast heart beat jumping to his throat. Beneath them, in a rocky area underneath a few trees, sat a light-brown haired girl, a slightly older man with grayish hair, and a dark-haired boy in a wheel chair.

Damn it! It was them! Why? He'd told them to run! To not let themselves be found!

…But there they were…his three childhood friends as vulnerable and oblivious as ever.

"It…it's them! That's the target group!" The sheriff realized enthusiastically, making Myrrha's limbs feel even heavier as a hopelessness came over him.

He gulped, struggling to keep his hands from shaking. "B…but, how do you know for sure? What if they're just innocent civilians?" He suggested with a trembling voice, trying to find any excuse to hold back the attack.

"They match the description perfectly. I don't think we need to worry about that. Besides, we can't take any chances – +anima are dangerous! Most likely, they'll show us their powers pretty quickly in an attempt to fight back, anyway." The captain dismissed.

Myrrha didn't respond, staring at the ground. He knew there was no way out of it, and the sheriff wouldn't let him get away with just standing around either. He didn't want to do this…but… What _could_ he do?

No. He wiped away the dampness appearing under his eyes in frustration. He wouldn't cry…he wouldn't show his hesitation, no matter what happened. It wouldn't do any good, anyway…and after all, it _was_ eight years ago. Maybe…maybe his old friends would fight back. Maybe they would fight them off. He knew what a small chance there was of that, but he wanted to believe that it could happen to ease his guilt. Their survival was up to them, not him.

He subconsciously balled his sweaty hands into a fist, reluctantly pulling out the bladed staff from his belt as the sheriff gestured the command to do so.

"They don't see us…" His leader continued quietly. "This is our chance…take them by surprise and finish them off quickly, without remorse. I know we don't usually kill, but remember, these are inhuman murderers we're dealing with – the sooner this world is rid of them, the better! Now…attack!"

* * *

Nana wiped her face with the back of her hand, dismissing a few crumbs that'd settled on her cheeks as she got to her feet. Senri stood as well, placing the bag back on the handles of Cooro's wheel chair. He stopped and tensed suddenly, whipping his gaze in the direction of one of the nearby hills.

"Right, let's go!" Nana stated casually, not noticing. "…Senri?" She called back quietly as she began to walk off, realizing that no one was following her.

She barely had time to look back before something heavy hit her from the rear, knocking her down face first.

"Senri! What?" The girl protested in a startled voice when she realized just what had slammed into her, trying to push her older companion away.

It was when an arrow cut into the ground where she'd been standing but a second earlier that her breath caught in her throat again, her eyes widening in stunned horror.

"Nana!" Cooro screamed from his place in the chair, both him and the girl staring at the arrow in shock as Senri jumped back up, already in +anima form as he stood in front of his two younger companions protectively.

A squadron of about six guards was already rushing down from the hill, weapons drawn aggressively.

"Guards! Damn it, it's them! They found us! It's them!" Nana cried in panic, jumping to her feet all at once as her heart lurched. She ran close to Senri, pulling one of the knives Dr. Gabriel had given them out of her belt. This was it – there wasn't any easy escape, they were going to have to fight!

The girl let her wings spread out behind her as she struggled to hold herself steady, all sorts of awful possibilities going through her head. She'd never fought before, not like this! It was just her and Senri… He was a strong fighter, but with just the two of them, what could they possibly do?

Cooro could do nothing, simply watching in horror from his seat as the guards approached. He was instinctively leaning back as far as he could against one of the arm rests, as if it would actually help him stay farther away.

Senri ducked under a swinging blade as the first guard approached, slashing his claws across the man's stomach in a counter as Nana stumbled clumsily back to avoid a second assault, the whole enemy group gathering around them.

The bear +anima delivered another blow, taking only a light scrape across the shoulder. The girl wasn't as lucky, receiving a deep gash across her left cheek as she searched in vain for an opening, her inexperience leaving her wide open.

"Nana!" Cooro cried again as he saw a quick burst of red splatter across the guard attacking her, trembling helplessly. "Nana, Senri! No!" Tears dribbled down his face. No! This couldn't happen! He couldn't watch his friends get slaughtered, only to be left waiting for his turn himself! He wanted to help them! He wanted to help them…but…

The bat +anima struggled away from the blades, letting out a screech. The guards momentarily flinched, stumbling a few steps backwards.

"Don't let her phase you!" A stern voice ordered. It was from the captain, who simply stood unmoving a few feet back, watching his squadron, and ready to back them up if need be. "Just take her out quickly! The sooner you finish her off, the sooner you don't have to hear it!"

With that, the guards lurched forwards towards the girl in blind slashes, the screech not having the effect she'd hoped as she took more scrapes across her left arm and chest, just avoiding getting stabbed. She fell back to the ground as Senri rushed to drive them away, this time taking a few gashes himself.

She frantically pushed herself up again, getting to her feet just in time to react to an attack from behind. Metal hit metal as she flipped around, easily blocking the attack. She stifled a gasp, her mouth falling agape in shock. "…Husky!" She breathed, continuing to hold off the blade at the end of his staff with her knife. The pressure going against her was weak, Husky meeting her eyes for just a moment before quickly pulling away and giving another halfhearted slash. She countered, sending him flying backwards with little effort.

"Myrrha!" The sheriff called angrily as the girl reluctantly turned away, forced to divert her attention to another, more forceful, attacker. The silver-haired guard padded away from the fray and towards his captain obediently. By this time Cooro had singled him out, too, watching him with shocked, horrified eyes. "What's wrong with you?" His leader blurted out in frustration. "I know how you fight! You're barely doing anything!"

"I…" The boy sputtered, searching for an answer.

"I know something is wrong – you've been acting oddly all day. But I won't accept this behavior! You better get out there and shape up! Go, kill them, complete your mission!" The sheriff insisted, leaning threateningly towards his guard's face.

"But… I…I can't!" The boy wailed, realizing it himself. He could hear Nana and Senri crying out as they struggled in battle against his four companions, and he was aware of Cooro's terrified gaze beating into him from behind. "They…I knew them from before – when we were kids!" The silver-haired guard burst out shakily, unable to stop himself. "I don't believe that they could do what people said they have…I…I think this is wrong… I can't… I can't do this!"

The captain remained unmoved, his features as hard and cold as ever. "It's up to the government to decide who's done what, you just follow orders! It doesn't matter what happened in the past, your own feelings don't matter – you do as you're told without thinking about it, without remorse, without pain! That's your role now… If you aren't strong enough, then you don't belong with us!"

"B…but…" The boy sputtered again, not knowing what to say as he frantically searched for a way out of this. He heard Nana let out a wail behind him, not able to stop himself from visibly flinching. The sheriff just frowned, anger casting wrinkles over his face. "I'm disappointed in you for even hesitating, after all the years we've cared for you! After I personally scraped you off the streets – you still have loyalty to them strong enough to interfere with your loyalty to us!"

"It…it's not like that… I…" The guard mumbled helplessly, sinking away at his captain's anger. He always had possessed a cold, explosive temper... "Worthless! If this is how weak you truly are, then even after all those years of training you are worthless to us!" The sheriff continued, blaring.

"Captain Joseph… I…" The boy sputtered pleadingly, shaking.

"Enough!" The captain spat, his voice filled with rage. "I don't want to hear anything else!" He raised his arm, stretching an angry finger towards where Cooro still helplessly watched his friends struggle from the wheel chair. "That boy is being ignored in the fray – that will be your job! Kill him! Do away with him yourself! If you don't, I'll have you sent right back to the streets, or even arrested for treason if you keep refusing!"

The silver-haired boy's eyes widened in absolute horror. "No! I… He's completely helpless! He can't even fight back – it would be no different from slaughtering cattle!" He argued frantically, his whole body trembling.

"No one ever said it had to be different." The sheriff insisted coldly, his eyes like ice. "But… Cooro… No, I…" The guard sputtered, literally taking a few steps back. "Do it! Now!" The captain practically screamed, disgusted. "This is your final chance! Do it _now _to prove your loyalty to the country, or face the streets or prison!" His leader's patience was obviously gone, his face flushed in red.

This time the boy didn't say anything, stumbling off with shaky steps away from his captain and towards the place where his former friend watched helplessly from the wheel chair.

Cooro turned his head as the silver-haired guard approached, bewilderment showing in his terrified, pleading eyes. "…Husky?"

The boy never answered, careful not to meet his gaze as he stared like stone, desperately trying to block out any emotions. He couldn't stop himself from trembling though, tears he refused to notice spilling down his face. What would be the best way to do this…?

Cooro let out a scream as Husky unexpectedly grabbed hold of the wheel chair, capsizing it to the side with a violent jerk and sending the dark-haired boy tumbling painfully out onto the ground. He tried in vain to get up, wincing as a horrible stinging spread through him from his right ankle. He managed to pull himself around only to be met with a blade pressed coldly against his neck.

The dark-haired boy started up at his former friend with a horrified gaze stretched wide, frozen in fear as the guard glared back down at him with eyes full of terrible anguish.

Husky tried not to think about who the person below him was, tried desperately not to associate him with his memories. To carry out an order without thinking, without remorse, without pain… He almost wanted to believe that his old companion had become some sort of awful murderer – some part of him _begged_ to believe what he'd been told – to ease his own heart.

"I'm sorry…Cooro…" He mouthed the words, nothing more than a whisper leaving his lips.

"Cooro!" Nana screamed, her and Senri suddenly catching sight of what was happening. "Husky, no!" They both tried to rush forward in panic, held back as the onslaught of guards bunched even closer to them.

"Myrrha, what are you doing! You should have been done by now!" The captain's voice bellowed angrily. "One, single quick swipe, that's all it will take! Unless you want to rot in prison!"

Cooro met Husky's unmoving, watery gaze right in the eyes, overwhelmed by the pain he knew the person he'd once called his friend was feeling. He knew that he didn't really want to do this. He was in agony.

The dark-haired boy never once moved his stare away. A tear ran down his own face. He knew what was going to happen. Maybe this was what he deserved, anyway… "It…it's okay… I understand. Do what you have to with me…to keep your way of living. I don't mind… But please, I don't know what you can do, but please don't let anything happen to Nana and Senri… Just go ahead and take me…"

Husky said nothing, flinching as his hands only started shaking more, the trembling weapon leaving a jagged mark on Cooro's neck as a few crimson drops dribbled down to his chest.

_Do what you have to with me…to keep your way of living._

Put that way…it sounded just awful. And 'okay'…how could it possibly be 'okay'? How could he even say that? Even the guard himself knew that what he was doing wasn't.

"Myrrha, _now_! Do it!" The captain commanded, his tone filled with terrifying rage. "Or we'll take this as treason against Astaria!"

Trying not to think of anything else, to clear his mind of all thoughts, Husky raised his blade, preparing to bring it down hard enough to cut through flesh. All it would take was a single instant. One instant, and then it would all be over.

He couldn't stop shaking, barely able to hold the staff steady enough to make a clean, fatal swipe. His tears refused to quit coming.

"_Hello!" The young, dark-haired boy chimed, a bandage around his head, as he turned to face him. "My name is Cooro, I'm a +anima just like you!" "Uh…" Husky didn't say anything, surprised that the strange boy was already awake, and beyond that, amazed that he would talk to him so casually after he'd been the one that'd hit him over the head and got him captured. "We should stick together!" The boy, apparently named Cooro, continued. "Why don't you leave the circus, and come with me?" _

"_We _can't_ leave without Cooro!" Nana insisted as she came to an abrupt halt, suddenly toppling over just a moment later as the boy himself plowed into her from behind without warning, both of them stumbling clumsily back up. "There you guys are!" The boy cried, his voice a bit shaky. "I've been searching all over for you – you tried to leave without me! Why? That's so mean!" Husky blinked in surprise, noticing the dampness on Cooro's cheeks – he didn't think he'd ever seen him like that before. "The lady that owns this house seems to like you, we thought you'd be better off staying here than continuing on with us…" "But…" Cooro sputtered in response. "I don't want to stay here, I want to stay with you!"_

_Husky pressed forward through the pitch black tunnel, clinging tightly to Nana's hand as the two of them followed the odd song echoing through the caves, the voice carrying the words familiar. They finally saw a pinpoint of light, quickly making their way to an open space where they caught sight of Senri, and Cooro – the source of the song, gathered around a makeshift fire. Husky breathed in relief, running over to meet his last two companions. "Husky, Nana!" Cooro called happily, ceasing singing as they approached. "What was that about?" Husky asked as he padded over to him. "The song?" Cooro blinked. "I remembered that the sisters at the church always said to sing if you got lost or separated." Relieved as he was, Husky couldn't quite help giving the boy a light bump on the head with the wooden staff he always carried around. _

"_Of course we'll come with you to Sailand! If that's what you wanted, you should have said so in the first place!" Nana announced, meeting Husky's eyes determinedly as Senri nodded beside her. "Yeah!" Cooro added with a grin. "We're friends, aren't we? If you're going to Sailand, then we are too!" Husky wasn't able to say anything right away, a strange dampness gathering by his eyes as he stared back at the three people he'd somehow grown so close to._

Husky continued trying to hold the bladed staff still, aiming it straight towards Cooro's throat. He felt like he could hardly breathe, his chest tight and heavy as he unsuccessfully tried to keep the memories away. They stubbornly refused to leave, playing over and over again in the back of his mind. Never before had they been so painful.

"Now!" The furious voice of his captain bellowed. "Kill him! Do it now! I order you! Don't you dare disobey me!"

"Cooro… Husky…" Even Senri piped up, trying desperately to get through as the guards fought to keep the bear +anima back.

"Husky, no! Cooro! You can't! You _can't_!" Nana screamed, practically hysterical as she frantically struggled in absolute horror at the scene before her, unable to get away from the fray. "_No_!"

"_Damn it_!" Husky cursed, wincing as he all at once brought down the blade towards his target.

"…Ouch!" Cooro piped up instinctively as the wooden part of the staff gave him a light, mostly harmless bump on the head. He subconsciously rubbed the slight bruise, gazing up at the silver-haired guard in surprise, a look of amazement in his eyes. Nana and Senri stared in back in equal astonishment, the attention of everyone in the field momentarily distracted.

Husky opened his eyelids a moment later, giving the dark-haired boy a last, hard stare before whipping away to face his captain. "I can't – I _won't_ – do this!" He cried sternly, his voice breaking. "This isn't right! I know that they're innocent. If this is what being a guardian of Astaria is about…then I want no part in it!"

Sheriff Joseph straightened, shocked. "But… But they aren't even human!" He insisted. "I don't know what kind of past you had with them, but they're +anima, it doesn't matter! They're all killers! They mean nothing, them or anyone who associates with them – they're worthless scum, trash!"

Husky shook in rage, this time his captain's words filling him with nothing but fury! He wasn't going to take it. Not this time!

"Then am I nothing but trash, too?" He pulled the carefully placed collar of his uniform down, revealing the gill-like markings on the base of his neck.

A hush came over the whole squadron, the captain's eyes widening, his face burning red after a moment of astonishment passed. "Myrrha, you…you're a… You're one of them!"

"That's right, and I won't hide it anymore! I won't take what you're doing to innocent people like them, to the +anima! I won't follow you! Even if it means being declared a traitor to the country!" He insisted, staring the sheriff right in the face. He'd really done it now – there was no turning back!

"Husky…" Nana stared back in amazement, still barely able to catch her breath.

This time it was Captain Joseph's turn to shake, his face ridden with disgust. He turned towards the rest of his stunned squadron. "The rest of you, kill him! Kill Myrrha! Finish what we came to do, kill all the +anima!"

"But…sir… Myrrha, he's… He's one of our own." One guard dared to object, getting a stone cold, angry glare from his leader. "He's a +anima! He's a traitor! Do as I tell you!" The guard gulped as the sheriff yelled back, him and all the others reluctantly rushing forward as Husky and Senri did the same. After a quick glance at the wide-eyed, trembling Cooro, Nana did the same, as shaken and scrapped up as she was.

Now only outnumbered by one, the +anima managed to drive back the started, conflicted group of four guards, Senri sending them back up the hill with a few good swipes from his claws.

"Wait, stop!" The irate captain called after them, seething in fury. His squadron didn't obey this time, continuing to retreat. They were done with this fight.

"Damn it all!" He swore. "This isn't over! Myrrha, you'll pay for this – you'll pay for your deception and treachery! We'll be back for all of you creatures!"

And with a last, icy, perhaps even slightly regretful or hurt, glare at Husky, he was gone, disappearing over the crest of the hill with the rest of his squadron…with the exception of the silver-haired guard that stood and watched him leave. The boy known as both Myrrha and Husky didn't move, staring straight ahead as his companions left him alone at in the grassy, red splattered clearing.

Nana, Senri, and Cooro did nothing for a moment as well, staring from the top of the hill back to Husky. Nana broke uncomfortable silence, hurrying up to the dark-haired boy and bending down to where he still lay helplessly spread out over the ground. Senri quickly padded after her.

"Cooro! Are you okay? Are you all right?" The girl inquired frantically, still shaking as her and Senri helped the boy back up to the wheel chair, both of them letting their +anima forms disappear.

"Yeah… I'm okay…" Cooro answered dryly, his voice small and quiet. He never moved his gaze away from Husky, who was still standing unmoving at the edge of the clearing with his back turned.

"Come on, Cooro, Senri, let's get the heck out of here!" Nana pressed, completely and purposely ignoring the presence of the silver-haired boy as she coldly strutted off with a slight limp, gesturing for her companions to follow when she realized they weren't immediately behind her.

Senri and Cooro lingered a moment longer, both of them keeping their gazes on their former friend as Senri hesitantly started moving them both forward.

Husky turned to meet their eyes as they began to leave, his lonely, shaken gaze slowly lowering back to the ground as he started moving his feet forward. Without so much as a single word, he followed them.

* * *

A dark-haired woman watched the group of four leave, continuing on to the west. She'd been watching it all, hiding well in the branches of a tree on the same hill the squadron of guards had fled back over. Not one person, though, had been aware of the extra face staring downwards towards the fray.

That hadn't gone quite as she'd hoped… That boy…even when he and his group were faced with death, he still wouldn't fight back, he still wouldn't unleash what was within him. She sighed in dismay. If she wasn't easily able to get him to break away from his charade herself, she had wondered if a situation like that might.

She'd been the main person to report to the guards the direction in which the three +anima had been heading as they left the village – she'd set up the attack, and had been secretly monitoring it in case something went terribly wrong…which it almost had.

The silver-haired guard… If she'd thought for one moment that he might have seriously been prepared to kill the boy named Cooro, she would've had to have stepped in. She wouldn't have stood for losing her target, to have everything start over once more after nineteen years – not again! But…she'd known he wasn't going to, she'd been able to see it in him, even from so far away. He simply wasn't capable of it. Even if it was his orders, and definitely in his best interests. What strange, weak, creatures humans were – controlled by unpredictable and fickle emotions. She never understood what the soul of her target saw in it.

Being back together with the people he'd known from his childhood was making his emotions stronger and more volatile than ever… He'd survived, and evaded her, by making himself as numb as possible…to the point where eventually nothing much had remained except for a terrible sense of guilt, a hopeless yearning, and a dreadful fear. But being with them was making his heart conflict even more vividly – bringing back old emotions, and making the ones he felt that much more potent.

He was trying and desperately desired to be a real, normal human… But humans were fragile…and could be easily broken. Maybe…instead of coming straight at him, she'd continue waiting by the side lines just as she had been at the riverside village, and was now. Maybe he would eventually shatter on his own. When he did…he'd come to her with open arms.

Yes, she'd stay just close enough to antagonize him, allowing him to sense her off and on like he had been earlier. But she'd let his guilt keep on ravaging and eating away at him, let his conflicted emotions violently split him into pieces. He really was his own worst enemy. The only one making him feel such pain was him himself. She would merely take that pain away forever.

The woman gave her huge black wings a strong flap, taking to the air. Staying in the shadows, she slowly pressed forward in the direction her target had disappeared in, searching for a place to spend the night herself.

* * *

Husky continued keeping pace with his three former companions, trailing along just behind them without uttering a sound. All three of them knew he was there, but the traveling had remained completely, unnaturally, silent.

Nana made a point of keeping her eyes fixated straight ahead, never glancing back even once. Senri, however, would turn his gaze behind him to the silver-haired boy when he didn't need to watch where he was walking, and Cooro's seemed permanently set on the guard from his place in the wheel chair. His anxious eyes never looked away, a sense of amazement still lingering within them. Husky wished he'd stop staring at him like that…after what he'd done earlier, and especially what he'd _almost_ done, it made him uncomfortable…

"…Are you coming with us, Husky?" Cooro suddenly asked out of the blue, after over an hour of awkward, complete silence.

"Uh…" Husky just stumbled, surprised, and honestly not quite sure about the answer himself. "I…"

Nana came to an abrupt halt, still not looking back as she gave a quick stomp of her foot. "Just why are you following us, anyway? What makes you think we'll tolerate having you hang around after what you did earlier?" She questioned bitterly.

"I helped you in the end, though, didn't I? If it hadn't been for me, I doubt you'd have escaped at all!" He argued.

"I don't care – you worked for the guards! You stayed with them even after all this started happening, even though they're crusading a movement against +anima – your own kind!" Nana spat, not even trying to hide the unbridled anger in her voice. "…And you…you almost _killed_ Cooro just because that stupid sheriff told you to!"

"But I didn't!" Husky pointed out, his face turning as red as hers.

Nana was unfazed. "But you _considered_ it! You shouldn't have even gone as far as you did! I don't think any of us would ever have held a blade to your neck! You shouldn't have kept on being a puppet for those guards once all this started happening, either!" The girl forced herself to take in a breath, trying to calm down a bit. "Look…maybe you have your own reasons, selfish as they probably are… But do you honestly think that we can just forgive you for all of that?"

Husky bit his bottom lip. "You're right, okay? You're right! I know that! I know I shouldn't have done what I did, I know I was wrong to stay with the guards, but I can't take it back now! It was a mistake, but you have to understand – I haven't had any other home besides living with the Astar guards for almost the whole time since we split up…it wasn't always the way it is now! I sacrificed a lot when I reveled myself, and defied Captain Joseph's orders – for you! I sacrificed the only way of life that I had… Now I have nowhere to go… " He paused for a moment, trying to suppress an unwelcome lump in his throat. "I'm sorry…all right? I'm sorry…"

No one said anything, all of their eyes on him. Even Nana found herself turning her gaze towards him intently.

"You're all going to that old war fortress by the western sea, right? Where the +anima rebels are supposedly gathering?" He continued, not meeting even one of their stares. "I heard about it too, when the squadron stopped at a city on the way here – I figured that's where you were headed when I found out you'd left to the west… Please…let me come with you…"

A few seconds still passed before he got an answer. Nana made a face, a part of her starting to soften despite the anger and hurt that still blazed through her veins. She turned to Cooro instead of Husky.

"Cooro, you decide!" Her voice was still bitter. "You got the worst of it… You should be the one to decide whether or not we should let _him_ hang around…"

"Umm…" The dark-haired boy hesitated, turning back to Husky and looking him over silently with a trembling gaze. Their eyes met once more, an apologetic look in Husky's. A long moment passed before Cooro's suddenly brightened, a slow, delicate smile spreading its way across his lips. "Husky…you don't need to feel so sorry… I told that it was okay, didn't I..?"

"But –" The silver-haired guard sputtered, realizing what the dark-haired boy was referring to. Nana blinked as well, taken aback. _…Okay?_

Cooro's grin just widened, not giving either of them a chance to respond. "Of course you can come with us! It'll be just like before!"

…_Just like before…_

Husky didn't respond for a moment – he doubted that.

Nana did too, she looked down, suddenly feeling a bit oddly awkward around the three people she'd once known as close friends. She couldn't help a small grin herself, though – Cooro really did still have an innocent naivety in him…

"…Thank you…" The silver-haired boy finally replied, returning the smile.

The moment lasted a few seconds longer, before the group of four gradually started moving on again. All conversation ceased as a quietness that Nana wasn't sure was more or less uncomfortable settled back over them.

* * *

Nana spread out one of her two quilts on the ground, preparing herself a comfortable place to sleep. The small campfire in the center of the four of them was the only source of light against the night sky, casting eerie orange shadows over each of their faces.

They were stopped near the river, in an area that was fairly thick with trees. They'd traveled for hours in an attempt to leave the site of the earlier conflict behind, finally forced to settle down as the dusk started obscuring their vision.

Cooro and Senri were already lying down, probably asleep …but Nana felt slightly restless, a gaze from behind agitating her.

Husky was still sitting up by the fire, his knees held close to his chest in an attempt to keep warm. Unlike them, he was completely unprepared, and had no blankets or anything else to create a bed or ward off the cold.

She groaned in annoyance, she knew there was no way she'd be able to sleep with him awake like that, staring blankly over the camp. It didn't look like he was going to even try to rest anytime soon, either.

The girl slowly got to her feet with another exasperated sigh, sitting herself down next to him without any invitation. Husky tensed in surprise, gazing back over to her. The silence that seemed to have remained the whole evening lasted a moment longer, before Nana finally forced herself to speak. "…It's cold…isn't it?" The boy just nodded. "Y'know…" She continued hesitantly. "Since you don't have any blankets, you might be able to share with Senri… I doubt he'd mind…" "I don't think I could sleep, anyway…" Husky replied quietly, his eyes having returned back to the crackling flames of the fire.

"I'm still mad at you, you know!" Nana suddenly announced out of the blue, turning her own gaze completely in the opposite direction. "…But…" Her voice trailed off for a moment. "For the record…I do understand in way… I know how I felt, how I still feel now, right when I lost Niomi, and my own small cabin on the village orchard… It was the only way of living I'd become comfortable with, and I'd worked so hard for it… I felt like I'd give anything just to have it back, if I could have kept it…"

Husky blinked, turning back to meet her gaze as she did the same. Nana forced a strange smile across her face.

"It feels kind of like a dream, doesn't it? It still kind of does to me, too." She paused, this time staring distantly at the dancing, colorful flames of the campfire herself. "Sometimes I feel like none of this is real. Like I'm going to suddenly wake up at anytime, and find myself back in my own bed, safe and warm. I'd sigh in relief, and wonder what brought on such a strange nightmare… Then I'd probably wonder about how my three old friends were doing in real life, and whether or not they were even still alive… But I'd be glad that all of it was just a dream, I'd be so happy…"

"Nana…" Husky sputtered, trying to think of something to say. Nana turned her gaze to him once more, though, trying to brush off her sudden melancholy.

"I haven't totally decided yet how I feel about you being here…but…" She spared a brief glance over at Senri and Cooro, wanting to make sure they were both really asleep. Senri was obviously passed out, and Cooro seemed to be sleeping too – he had his back turned, but he was perfectly still except for the rising and falling of his sides that came with breathing. She stared at him for just a second longer before facing Husky again. "It's kind of nice to have someone more normal to talk to."

"Normal, huh? So we're the only 'normal' ones?" Husky remarked, more jokingly than critically, a slight grin appearing on his face to match Nana's.

Nana looked away again, still a bit uncomfortable. "…Senri's pretty normal, I guess. He's the same as he always was, and it definitely makes me feel better having him around –"

"I'm surprised that he actually remembered us." Husky added, interrupting.

Nana nodded. "Yeah, I was surprised, too…and I'm really happy that he did. But… You know…he's not one to strike up a conversation with. And Cooro…well…" The girl hesitated a moment, trying to think of what to say. "He's normal sometimes…but other times… He always acts so scared and meek! And I never quite know how he's going to react to things – he practically tears up at the drop of a hat! He seems so sad sometimes, too…"

"What happened to him anyway, Nana?" Husky suddenly wondered aloud. "Why is he in that wheel chair, why does he seem so strange? I didn't even realize who he was… Is he sick, or something?"

Nana shook her head. "No... He can't walk because of the injury on his right ankle – that happened at the guard station back at the city…you've probably heard something about that? That wretched, black-winged woman that I mentioned before was there – the one that committed the murders we're being blamed for – and the only way for him to open the prison door for Senri and me and the others with us was to jam his own foot into the gears of the lever…" She shivered. She'd explain it in more detail later, along with everything else, but that was all she wanted to say about that for now.

"But then…why does he seem so sickly?" Husky pressed further, passing her a confused look.

"I honestly don't know." Nana answered truthfully. "We took him to the hospital at the riverside village after he got hurt… The doctor there noticed how weak he was and said she'd look for any signs of illness or anything unusual…but the last time I talked to her alone, she said she hadn't found anything specifically wrong. What she told me was that she thought it was mostly constant stress and anxiety that was making him sick, and that she thought he'd just let himself kind of…fade away…over time. With the way he acts now, I think she was probably right… Don't you think that's horrible? That he'd just let himself wither like that? I really don't know what happened to him…" She repeated, a sadness in her voice.

"Really? There isn't anything actually wrong with him?" Husky blinked. He'd half expected to hear that Cooro had developed some sort of horrible illness. Nana shook her head again. "Then…" The silver-haired boy started slowly. "That is pretty odd... I never was able to picture him as an adult…but I never would have thought he'd turn out like that…"

Nana nodded this time. "He's not even a +anima anymore…"

"He isn't?" Husky blurted out, sounding more shocked than he meant to. "I mean, I knew that he hadn't been confirmed to either be one or not by the guards…but I figured…"

"Did he…really say that it was 'okay' earlier?" The girl butted in again, after a brief pause. "That was when you had that stupid blade to his neck, right?" "Yeah… He did." Husky answered, looking down slightly. "He wanted you and Senri to be safe…but he said he didn't care about what happened to himself." "He didn't even seem angry, either…" Nana added herself.

There was a long silence, before Nana all at once decided to end that topic, reaching over and grabbing a pear out of the storage bag. She took a few bites, before handing it to Husky. "Here, eat the other half. After that, we really should get some sleep, too." They'd already eaten once after setting up the fire, while they'd tended to their wounds from the short conflict, but the meal had been so small…and besides, the fruit would rot anyway if they didn't eat it fairly quickly.

The boy took a few bites himself and handed it back to her, the two of them continuing like that until the pear had been completely devoured. After that…they headed off to bed, Husky following Nana's earlier suggestion and quietly padding up to Senri.

He lifted up the top quilt lightly, carefully trying to crawl beneath it as well. Senri stirred, waking up.

"Oh, Senri… I'm sorry…" Husky sputtered. "It's cold… I was just…"

His older companion just smiled warmly, lifting up the blankets himself as the third child from his memories joined him.

Cooro stirred as well, wiping a few tears off his face with the back of his right palm. The slight but terrifying burning in his shoulders had been keeping him awake, and he'd been listening to the whole conversation.

They were right though, about what they'd been saying about him... He _was_ different… He'd survived the past three years by ignoring everything except fear, including himself, to avoid feeling his own emotions and anguish. It was because…a part of him knew that it would be better for everyone around him, wherever he went, if he would just die.

But…he didn't want that! He wanted to live! He wanted to survive and live his life like everyone else! Even for that simple, pure, wish, though…he felt agonizingly guilty. He felt guilty for even wanting to live…

Cooro let out a quiet sob, quickly trying to stop himself before any of his companions noticed.

He still felt horrible about wanting to be with them, too. Lying to them, making things harder for them, putting them in danger… But, even if it was just clinging to a memory, being with them – people that actually cared about him, people that knew him from before those three years ago – made him feel like he was actually something again…and _not_ what he feared deep down he really was.

But even that night, _she _was there, somewhere close by. The burning sensation had never once gone away. It was mild enough to easily contain, but…what would he do if she showed up? Without even being able to walk, he couldn't move himself farther away from them either…

All he could do was pray she stayed away…after all, she had been for a while… Surely it wouldn't last…but maybe for just a little bit longer…

Despite all of the thoughts in his head, Cooro suddenly found his eyelids closing over his plain of vision, slowly carrying him away to sleep.

He took one last look at all three of his old companions in the pale, orange light, smiling in spite of himself as slumber took a firm grasp over him, this time unable to be fought off.

Even after growing up to live different lives, and after eight years of parting, all four of them spent that night gathered around the fire together.

* * *

_Well, now the whole group of four is finally back together._

_Anyway, please review and stay tuned for the next chapter!_


	11. Chapter Ten: Rain

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_Now on to Chapter Ten!_

* * *

**Chapter Ten: **Rain

**

* * *

**

Cooro shuffled in bed as the sound of muffled laughter once again echoed through the small room, disturbing the stillness of the musty wood shelter. Unable to sleep, he turned back towards where Nana and Husky sat a few feet away with a table, a lantern, and a chess board between them.

The group had been traveling for four days along the riverside, and it had only been in the last that a few signs of civilization had begun to reappear. They'd started passing a few people and carriages making their way by, most likely headed to one of the villages near the ocean beach, and had come across the lone traveler's inn that evening. Having thankfully not caught sight of a single guard since the incident just outside of the riverside village, they'd decided that it wouldn't do any harm to spend a night at the small shelter – to reach the ruins they were going to, they likely still had a couple days of walking left, and they had no idea what actually awaited them there, either. The thought of a comfortable inn had been too much to pass up, even if it was just for a single night.

They needed all the rest they could get, but instead of going straight to bed, Husky and Nana had discovered the chess board in one of the room's dressers, and had eagerly started a game…which had since turned into two after Nana had sworn revenge for her first loss. Cooro sighed, listening in on their conversation once more.

"What? But…" Nana moaned in annoyance as Husky took out one of her knights with a bishop.

"I told you that you aren't ever going to beat me." The silver-haired boy boasted, interrupting. "Chess was something we were taught to play back in the castle. I always used to win against the guard squadron, too."

"Hey Husky…" Nana started distractedly, scanning the board for her next move. "How did you end up working for the guards, anyway? When we all split up, you had that job working for the blacksmith in a city market."

The former guard took his turn after her. "Well…that didn't last too long. I was tossed out onto the streets as soon as the manager realized I was a +anima."

That caught Nana's attention, diverting her gaze away from the board as her eyes widened slightly. "Really? You got kicked out because you were…" Her voice trailed off, her tone sad. "Yeah." Husky nodded. "That's when I started being careful to hide that I was a +anima again, and when I started going by 'Myrrha' again, too, since I didn't think that anyone who might already know what I was would recognize me by that name. I lived on the streets for a while, and eventually had to turn to stealing when winter came around. I got caught, though, by none other than the captain. I tried to fight him off, which was probably stupid – I could have easily been thrown in jail, but luckily for me he was actually impressed, and ended up taking me in…"

"Oh…" The girl answered dryly, her eyes falling slightly downcast as she once again started focusing on the match.

Cooro's attention started drifting away as well as they momentarily fell silent, his eyes finally starting to close despite the slight burning in his shoulders that had been persisting for almost the whole time, and the lantern light brightening up half the room. So that was what'd happened to Husky after they'd said what they'd thought were their final goodbyes…

She'd been bitter at first, but Nana had actually ended up spending much of the time during their travels chatting back and forth with Husky. Cooro shuffled again, trying to just ignore them and get to sleep, their voices starting to appear once more at the edges of his drowsy senses.

A quiet laugh from Nana just a few minutes later got his eyes to open again, though, a frustrated frown coming across his face. This time he sat up, scooting over to the edge of the bed and placing his good foot down on the floor before gingerly following it with the one from his injured right leg. He grabbed the bedside table to keep steady as he pulled himself up, carefully getting to his feet without placing weight on his wounded ankle.

The boy still couldn't walk on his own, but in the last couple of days, he'd found that the sharp delicateness at his ankle had finally started to ebb slightly – he could actually hobble around a bit if he had something to hold on to. It probably wasn't wise, since if he fell even once he'd be risking irritating the wound again, but he could hardly stand being forced to sit still anymore…leading him to try any chance he got.

He stumbled clumsily but carefully over towards his two awake companions, barely even letting the toes on his right foot touch the floor as he relied on the table edge he was pressing against to hold his weight.

"Oh? Cooro?" Nana looked up as she heard him approach, surprised. "What are you doing up? You probably shouldn't try to move around as much as you do, either – it would be bad if you fell…"

The young man ignored the statement. "Umm…can I play too?" His voice was small and timid, his eyes not quite meeting either of theirs as he gazed down timidly. Nana blinked, slightly taken aback – just like the doctor had observed, he hardly ever asked for anything. "Sorry, Cooro…but you know, chess is only for two people…" She actually felt guilty for not saying yes.

"But…" Cooro sputtered. "The two of you just finished a game a couple of minutes ago…didn't you?"

Nana bit her bottom lip. "Well, yeah, we did, but… We've already started another match now, and besides, I have to get him back!" She justified, forcing a smile across her face.

"Can I play against the winner after this, then?" Cooro asked hopefully, still looking down. "But it's so late now…we're actually both planning to go to bed as soon as this is over, we probably already should've… We don't really have time to play anymore…" The girl explained quietly. "Next time, okay?"

"Okay…" Cooro finally agreed sadly, giving up. Next time? When the heck would that be? The boy just sighed dejectedly.

He carefully stumbled back to the bed with another lonely moan, pulling the sheets back over his body as he laid back down, his back turned once more.

The sound of their voices continued to keep him awake though, irritating him more than he would've expected, and it wasn't long before he found his gaze wandering over to the drawer where they'd found the game. He got up on his palms, opening it quietly. All that was left was an old pack of cards.

He pulled the deck out, just staring at it for a moment before giving Senri, who was lying right next to him, already asleep, a light prod in the shoulder.

The slightly older man stirred, passing a sleepy, confused gaze at his dark-haired, younger companion. "Uh…" Cooro stuttered, suddenly feeling bad for having woken him up. "Do you…want to play cards with me?"

At that late at night, the truth was he didn't, but Cooro's voice sounded so meek and small that Senri sat up anyway, giving a light nod. The boy's eyes immediately brightened a bit, his old friend lighting the bedside lantern.

As Senri wordlessly took the deck, Cooro briefly wondered whether or not the bear +anima even knew how to play. A slight smile made its way across his face when his companion started shuffling the cards though, passing out a few to him. Maybe he'd played it with the children back at his toyshop?

Pleased as he was to have found someone to play it with, Cooro still had a hard time focusing on their silent game of cards, his gaze constantly falling back to Nana and Husky as their voices hit his ears. It continued on like that until Nana suddenly stood up in a loud huff, startling both him and Senri.

"See? It's useless. What did I tell you?" The silver-haired, former guard jeered teasingly.

"I say it's just luck!" Nana insisted. "I used to be pretty good at this, too… I swear, next time we get a chance to play this, you owe me another round!"

Cooro couldn't help but frown slightly.

"Sure, go ahead and keep trying." Husky taunted, putting out the lantern by their table as they both headed over to the beds.

Nana quickly climbed into the first bed, the young man continuing on instead to the one where Cooro and Senri both sat awake. "Umm, guys, will you pick up the cards now? We really need to get to bed." He prompted, eager to sleep while he could now that their own game was over. "But we didn't even get to finish our game…" Cooro argued.

There were two beds in the small room, but Nana, being the only woman, got to take one all to herself, leaving her three male companions to struggle to fit all together in the other. "It probably would be a good idea." The girl suggested from her bed, stretched out comfortably. "We should leave fairly early…"

"Fine…" Cooro reluctantly agreed again, slightly annoyed that Nana and Husky had gotten to finish their game even though they didn't want to wait for him and Senri to finish theirs. The two of them put the cards away, the bear +anima admittedly not seeming to mind too much. They lay back down in their places, trying to get comfortable again.

Husky paused just briefly when he realized the open space left in the bed was next to Cooro, quickly taking the spot before anyone noticed his hesitation a moment later.

After everyone was under the blankets, Senri reached over and put out the final lantern, a darkness filling the room. The full-moon's light seeping in through the windows provided enough illumination to still see a bit, though. Husky didn't even attempt to fall asleep right away, letting his eyes wander. He still wasn't used to being with the three companions plucked straight from his memory, and he actually noticed it more than ever at night, when everything else was silent.

With the exception of Cooro, his old friends seemed to be doing rather well, despite what they'd been going through. Senri was as strong and steady as ever, if just as spacey as well. He really hadn't changed much at all – he even looked largely the same, age having simply filled him out a bit more. Nana was still easily recognizable too, though she'd come into a more adult figure and had let her hair grow slightly longer, coming all the way down to her waist. Husky didn't feel like he'd changed much, either…he'd grown taller, and all the training under the sheriff had given him quite a bit of strength as he'd grown up – at least he didn't look quite so feminine anymore…even though he'd kept his hair about the same and still continued wearing his earrings through the years.

His thoughts wandering, he let his gaze rest on Nana a moment longer before he shuffled around to the other side, sensing someone else's stare behind him.

Sure enough, Cooro was still awake, gazing from Husky to the wall as he fiddled nervously, his palms placed subconsciously against his shoulders.

Husky would much rather have had Senri be the one next to him – like it had been the last few nights considering that they usually still shared a blanket. He kept quiet, though, figuring that asking his two companions to swap places would come across as extremely rude. He tried not to comment on the dark-haired boy's unnerving, irritating stare. He couldn't describe what it was exactly, but there was something about Cooro now that made him a bit…uncomfortable.

He figured that it still had something to do with the incident involving him and the guard squadron – he'd seen Cooro's face in his nightmare's each night since holding that blade to his neck – but he thought that it was more than that, too.

Nana had explained to him everything that'd happened up to the point where he'd joined them, including how she'd run into the dark-haired boy, and what she'd heard that Taru guy say about him. She told him about some of the especially strange incidents, too, like how he'd panicked after having been given a knife when they'd left the hospital. Without having to have a single thing told to him, though, he could tell there was something wrong with Cooro. He didn't know what it was exactly, but there was something _wrong_.

Saying that he acted like a little kid didn't seem right, since he certainly didn't act like he had when he'd actually been a child, but he definitely didn't act like a normal nineteen year old, either. He seemed to be in a weird, constant state of melancholy and anxiety, too… _Something_ had to have happened to have made him the way he'd become, but just what that something could possibly have been, he had no idea. Cooro himself consciously knew just what it was, though, Husky could tell that just by watching him. There were things he was definitely keeping hidden. Even as they laid there at that inn, there was something bothering him.

It was normal for people to keep some things to themselves, of course, especially people who hadn't spoken to each other since they were children eight years ago, but there was something about Cooro's behavior that struck him as unnerving… He actually found him slightly…creepy.

Still, he seemed to be the only one that felt that way – neither Senri nor Nana seemed uneasy around the dark-haired young man, so maybe he shouldn't either… After all, he did seem pretty harmless…

"Hey, Cooro…" Husky suddenly piped up, his voice nothing more than a whisper. "Is something wrong?" He forced himself to ask, though he admittedly was just as curious about his reaction as he was concerned.

"Huh?" The boy tensed for a moment, startled, before catching Husky's stare and realizing who'd spoken. "Oh…n…no, nothing's wrong." He made the simple answer abruptly, quickly moving his gaze away.

Husky frowned. Yes, he was definitely worried about something. He obviously wasn't going to say what, though…and it really wasn't his business, anyway. The former guard sighed inwardly in frustration.

"Well…then try to sleep for when we start moving again tomorrow." He added, trying to sound casual. "Y…yeah…" Cooro sputtered quietly, making a point of moving his hand's down and forcing his eyes closed. Husky slowly did the same a moment later, both of them searching restlessly for sleep.

* * *

As planned, they left the inn early the next morning, continuing on alongside the river. Late that afternoon, though, they came across what looked like a small bridge.

"What's that?" Cooro asked, being the first to catch sight of it from the wheel chair. They all stopped, looking it over.

"Oh, it looks like a bridge – it probably leads to another village on the other side of the river." Nana observed, walking closer for a better look. "Should we take it? It'd be a way to finally get across to the opposite shore."

Their destination – the abandoned war fortress, would likely be located in the rocky but less-mountainous area of the beaches, meaning that they would have to cross over at some point.

"We probably should…" Husky thought aloud. "But it's starting to get a bit late, and if that's an actual _village_ over there, and not just a single inn, it's highly likely that there are guards positioned there. I thought I heard something about that back when I was with them – I don't think they're daring to get too close to the fortress yet, but I believe they sent a few forces out to some other towns by the riverside on the way to it. This looks like it could be one. If that's the case, if might be best to just spend the night here, and hurry our way through the area tomorrow without stopping."

"So you think we should just stop right now for the night?" Nana asked for confirmation, considering the situation herself.

"Yeah." Husky nodded. "If we wait until the morning, we'll have all of tomorrow to get as far away from the village, and the guards patrol range, as possible. If we leave now, we're likely to get caught in it just as it gets dark."

"Okay." The young woman agreed, figuring that he had a point. She wasn't eager to stop when they were getting so close to their destination, but it probably would be wiser to get through that area all at once. With a couple of simple nods from Cooro and Senri, they made a fire for the night just a little ways from the bridge, preparing to settle down until the next morning.

The place they stopped at was the inside a small cavern, the group of four wanting to carefully avoid the rainfall the darkening sky promised to bring later. It was a bitterly cold afternoon as well – it almost looked like a storm similar to the one that'd struck the night Nana had first found Cooro in her orchards was once again on it's way. The girl gazed out from the rock shelter uneasily, shivering.

"Hey guys…" She started. "It looks like a storm might be coming, and it's so cold, too… I think we need to get some more firewood – that little fire we have now isn't going to last all night, and we're definitely going to need it. If we wait much longer though, I'm worried that all the wood out there is going to get drenched! I think I'm going to go collect some now…"

"You're right…" Husky agreed, following her gaze. "It does look like it could get stormy – getting prepared now might be a good idea. If it gets real bad, we might even get stuck here tomorrow."

"Okay, then I'll hurry and be right back." Nana announced, preparing to head out of the small cavern.

"Wait! Nana, can I please come with you?" Cooro suddenly piped up behind her. He felt bad for asking, knowing that his request would mean that she would have to push him around in the wheel chair herself…but he really wanted to be included with her again. He had admit that he'd been feeling a bit left out since Husky had joined back up with them – she wasn't forced to talk to him anymore...

"_It's kind of nice to have someone more normal to talk too…" _Nana's words from the conversation he'd overheard a few nights before echoed through his mind, making him bite his bottom lip. Those words had been bothering him ever since he'd heard her speak them. Normal… He wanted to be 'normal', too… He hadn't noticed it so much when it'd been just her and him, or even with the rather quiet Senri around, but once Husky had come into the picture, he found it hard to even make himself be noticed anymore…and he was surprised how much that hurt.

The girl paused, blinking in surprise. "Well…if you really want to, I guess…" She decided, still finding it strange to hear him actually ask for something. She didn't feel good about declining again. "I don't think it will be too hard to bring you along."

"Really? Thank you!" Cooro forced a smile across his face, trying to look as 'normal' as possible. Nana just passed a slightly bewildered one back.

* * *

Finding more usable firewood had turned out to be a slightly more difficult task than Nana had imagined – it'd rained a bit the night before when they'd been staying at the inn, and dampness still lingered on a lot of the branches and brush lying on ground. To begin with, the area really wasn't that wooded anyway, only making it harder.

Nana continued pushing Cooro along, the boy holding on to wood they'd found as the two of them ventured further from the camp than they'd originally planned to.

"Let's just take what we have and go back…" Nana decided. "It looks like the storm could break out at any moment, and if the branches we did find get soaked before we get back, then there was really no point to this! Besides, it's starting to get dark now…"

"Yeah…" Cooro agreed. "It's getting even colder…"

"You two – wait!"

The young woman came to an abrupt halt at the harsh male voice, both her and Cooro's gazes whipping around as three men stepped closer to them. They were well-clad, dressed in all too familiar uniforms – guards!

Nana swallowed hard, her breath catching in her throat. What were they doing there? They had been careful to keep some distance from the bridge. She struggled to keep her voice steady as she spoke, though, letting a bit of confusion seep in. "Yes?"

The three guards didn't answer right away, whispering quietly amongst themselves for a moment. Nana carefully let her bat ears appear, letting her palms and hair keep them hidden.

"Those two kids really do fit the description of a couple of the targets…"

"They're here, just like that woman said they might be."

"Do you think they really are +anima?"

"If they are the ones we're looking for…do we really have to…_kill_ them?"

Nana abruptly stopped listening as she quickly had her bat ears vanish, cursing their luck. It sounded like someone had tipped these guards off on their whereabouts – but who could that possibly be? She didn't have time to worry about that, though. These guards didn't seem as intent as the one's from Husky's squadron – she guessed that searching for her and her companions had never been specifically assigned to them, but they were still in quite a situation… If these guards confirmed who they were, they would undoubtedly try to carry out the terrible mission as well.

"Well…" One of the guards started unaware that she'd heard them speaking, trying to sound deceivingly casual. "There are a couple of murder suspects – rouge +anima – that are thought to be somewhere in the area. We are required to search over anyone who even remotely matches the description for the sake of public safety. I'm afraid we need you to come here."

"What, rouge +anima? Murderers?" Nana blurted out shakily, sounding more nervous than she would have liked as she struggled to come up with a story. "I don't know what you're talking about – we're just travelers going to visit a relative in one of the beach villages!"

"If that's true, that's all fine and dandy, but we still need to have a look at you." The guard insisted, obviously hoping that they weren't the people he was looking for himself. "The girl we're after is confirmed to be a bat +anima – if you don't have the markings on your back, then you're free to go."

"Uh…" Nana sputtered, her and Cooro exchanging a panicked glance – if those guards really got a look, they were going to find exactly what they were hoping they wouldn't. Unable to come up with an excuse against the search, they had no choice but to flee.

Going to be exposed either way, the girl all at once burst into her +anima form, her wings spreading out behind her as she suddenly let out a horrible screech. She stunned the shocked guards long enough to bolt away, pushing Cooro in front of her as she flew through the brush with her wings beating furiously – the guards would be coming with weapons drawn now!

Cooro shielded his face as they whipped forward blindly, smacking straight into thorns and branches as they frantically tried to vanish from the sight of the guards plodding behind them.

A gasp caught in each of their throats when the level, easy way forward suddenly vanished, a steep, grassy cliff towering in front of them. Nana had no choice but to stop, gazing wide-eyed at the hill, her sense of panic only increasing. She could fly over it by herself without a problem, she could probably even make it by foot, but there was no possible way she could push Cooro up such a sharp incline…and by then the three guards had them surrounded at every other angle.

"Nana, it's all right, just leave me behind!" Cooro ordered surprisingly sternly, realizing the problem. "Fly yourself up there and escape!"

"What? No, I can't! You'd…" She argued, passing him a horrified gaze at the suggestion. A bit of the determination Cooro had shown back when he'd helped her escape the first time had crept back into his terrified eyes – he definitely meant what he said.

"It…doesn't matter…" Cooro argued back. "I'm the one who insisted on coming along… I don't want that to mean something happens to you, too!"

"But, Cooro… No, I won't!" Nana shook her head, trembling.

"Nana –" Cooro was about to insist again, but it was too late, two of the men suddenly aggressively wrapping their arms around the bat +anima, while the third captured Cooro, yanking him up.

"No, stop!" Nana protested frantically, writhing under their grasps. "Let us go! We're not murderers, we haven't really done anything wrong!"

The guards did nothing at first, the three simply staring back and forth at each other. It was obvious that they weren't too keen on carrying out the last part of the mission.

"This girl…matches the description of the young, female bat +anima that is accused of murder, and is supposed to be executed on sight…" One of the men repeated aloud, placing a hand over Nana's mouth to quiet her arguing. "This isn't going to be a pleasant task…"

"Executed… We're just standard watchmen…do we really have to do this?" Another of the guards hesitated, complaining uneasily. "What about this boy, him too?" The man holding Cooro asked, equally wide-eyed.

"No!" Nana screamed shakily, biting the guard's hand to get it away from her mouth as he recoiled in pain. "He's not even a +anima, at least leave him alone!" The man shoved his palm tighter against her face the second time, shutting her up.

"There's an injured, dark-haired boy that is known to associate with the bat +anima and the other suspects – that's most likely him right there." The same guard, who seemed to be something of their leader, started. "He's…supposed to be disposed of as well, but it's not actually known whether he's a +anima himself or not… If he in fact isn't, maybe we don't really have to do it… Search him for any markings!"

"_No_! Wait, stop!" Cooro shrieked in a panic, trying to claw and bite at the arms of the man holding him. The guard cursed as the frantic boy gave him a large scrape that ran all the way down from his elbow, pushing him painfully to the ground instead of letting go. "_Stop_!" Cooro screamed desperately as the man started by lifting his shirt completely up, his struggling to no avail.

The guard blinked, pointing to the boy's exposed shoulders as he moved the cloth to the side, allowing the others to see. Nana's eyes stretched wider than those of any of the guards.

"These markings… He _is_ a +anima…" The guard holding the teary-eyed Cooro down announced aloud. "I don't recognize this pattern exactly, but I'd say he's some sort of bird, from the looks of it…"

Cooro didn't even try to struggle anymore, lying still with his face against the dirt. Nana stayed frozen as well, her wide-eyes fixated completely on him in shock.

"Then…I guess we'll just have to do away with both of them…" The main guard decided solemnly, loosening his grip just slightly to reach one hand down by his belt in search of a knife. "I'm sorry…you two…" He looked down at both Nana and Cooro himself. "We're not going to enjoy this – we're just doing our job."

The only response he got was a painful jab in the stomach from a very angry Nana, the young woman having taken the opportunity of the loosened grip to slam the man with her elbow. He stumbled back, loosing hold of her as she jostled out of the grasp of the startled second guard as well. She quickly let out a blaring screech, causing all three of their attackers to fall away and Cooro to wince, too. The knife she carried with her was in her hands by the time any of the guards got back to their feet, the girl standing aggressively in a fighter's stance.

She reached down carefully without turning her gaze, grabbing one of Cooro's hands and roughly yanking him up as much as she could. "We have to get out of here now!" She spat. "But…how –" Cooro sputtered, his voice trembling terribly. "Fly! You idiot!" Nana interrupted harshly, not even disguising the rage in her voice. Cooro flinched, his watery gaze still set on the ground. "Nana… I… I can't!"

Nana just grimaced in frustration after only brief moment of surprise, all of the patience she'd previously had for the boy completely gone. "What the hell do you mean you can't? You _are_ still a +anima! You've been lying all along!"

The guards were just watching the strange situation as if in a trance, not quite knowing what to do.

"I just can't, okay?" Cooro insisted dryly, not making any further comments.

"Don't give me anymore crap, Cooro! I've had enough!" Nana practically screamed, slashing her knife across the chest of one guard who was foolish enough to try to attack in her distraction – her rage had completely erased her fear. She blocked a second assault, giving a painful counter. The guards quickly backed off.

"Let's just go…" She heard one of them whisper. "We'll just say we were attacked and were forced to retreat, after all…there's only three of us, and +anima are dangerous, right? Especially proven killers!" "Right!" The others agreed to the excuse, the hesitant, somewhat timid guards eager to abandon the brutal mission. They scurried away, leaving the two +anima alone to fight.

"All this time, you've been lying!" Nana continued sharply, lowering her knife and whipping around to hover over Cooro as the guards were swallowed up by the evening shadows. "All this time when we've been helping you – when I opened the door at the guard station for you because I thought you couldn't fly, when we were working to pay for a hospital and an inn so that we could stay with you, and all this time when we've been pushing you around in that stupid wheel chair! What do you think we are – your servants? You didn't even need us to help you get around – you could have flown for yourself! And it's your fault we got caught this time, too!"

"But, Nana…" Cooro wailed pathetically, shrinking under the assault. "You don't understand – it's not like that! It's not that… I can't! I really _can't_! There are reason's why…"

"Then what are they?" Nana snapped without giving him a chance to finish speaking.

"I…" Cooro never answered, breaking out into a sob as tears streamed down his face.

Nana frowned, subconsciously balling her hands into fists. "And now you're going to start crying again… You idiot… Is that all you know how to do now?" She repeated, shaking as she glared down at him. "What the heck happened to you, Cooro? What's wrong with you?"

The boy said nothing, his messy, dark hair falling over his dampened face as he forced his miserable, hurt gaze up to hers, still sobbing.

"I don't understand… I don't understand at all!" Nana continued, trying to calm herself down slightly as she glared coldly back down at him. A couple of hurt tears dribbled down her face as well. "But I'm not going to put up with it anymore! I'm not putting up with any of it! I'm not going to help you back this time – you can fly back to camp whenever you're ready!" She quickly snatched the bits of firewood that had been scattered on the ground and abruptly turned away, strutting off without so much as a second glance back.

"No! Nana, wait!" Cooro called frantically, reaching after her. "D…don't leave me here, please!" He begged shakily, water still falling from his eyes as his voice trembled. "I'll be stuck here! I can't use my wings!"

Nana stopped without moving her gaze away from the path in front of her. "Then you better explain to me why right now…because as of the moment, I don't see why I should continue to have to help some liar who, to me, seems perfectly capable of getting back on his own."

Cooro just kept sobbing, shaking terribly as his eyes went back somewhere distant and horrible. A few more tears dripped down Nana's face and to her neck when she still got no answer, all at once taking off in an unsteady, aggressive sprint.

"Wait! Nana!"

A familiar, terrified voice called pleadingly and desperately after her, but this time, she didn't stop, disappearing into the dimness of the evening herself as the first few drops of rain fell from the sky.

* * *

Husky shuffled by his place at the fire as he heard footsteps approach, abruptly turning his gaze towards the small cavern's entrance as he realized Nana was finally returning.

"Nana! Where the hell have you been?" The silver-haired boy demanded angrily. "It shouldn't take that damn long to just gather a few sticks! We were about to go out looking for you!"

The girl said nothing in response, passing her companion an irritable glare as she trudged into the cave, the pale light of the fire casting orange shadows on her face.

Husky took the hint, pausing briefly. But his relief that she'd finally come back was short lived – he tensed slightly as he took in the whole picture, taken aback. "Umm…Nana… Where's Cooro?"

Nana just passed him another silent gaze, a breath catching in Husky's throat as he got a better look at her. She looked terribly pale and shaken, a few scrapes and scratches across her face and arms. Her whole body was trembling, her cheeks damp not from the light drizzle outside, but from tears.

Husky's heart suddenly lurched, pounding in his chest as his mind reeled. Had something terrible happened to…?

"Nana, where is he? Where's Cooro?" He blurted out without thinking, sounding much harsher and more panicked than he'd even expected to himself. The girl flinched slightly, Senri gazing up at her too with a look full of concern and confusion.

"He's _fine_, okay?" Nana spat back, her voice making it apparent that she wasn't willing to elaborate.

Husky just blinked, unconvinced. "But…he can't even walk… If he's not with you…then…"

"I said he's fine!" The girl insisted sharply. "…He'll be back later – I'll deal with him then!" She spat the last part bitterly, her voice quiet.

Senri and Husky just stared at her for a moment in a state that was near disbelief. "What do you mean by 'he'll be back later'? He can't walk!" The former guard repeated. "Is he with someone else? Is someone else going to bring him? He is safe, isn't he? What happened while you were out there?"

"We were attacked by guards, but we escaped… He's safe – you'll understand when he gets back." Nana replied vaguely, half answering the barrage of frantic questions. She thought about saying more, about telling them what she'd found out. But…somehow that seemed like Cooro's place…she didn't feel good about exposing his lie herself. After all, he'd have to explain it when he flew back, wouldn't he? And she figured that would be soon – he wasn't going to want to stay out with it already starting to rain.

She plopped herself down by the fire, dumping her heavy load of wood alongside it. "I got the firewood." She added, changing the subject. "It started drizzling a bit before I got back, but I think it's still okay…"

"You were attacked by guards!" Husky blurted out, both his and Senri's eyes widening. Neither of them cared about the firewood at that particular moment, Nana's attempt at escaping the topic failing.

"It…was no big deal…" Nana started. "It was just a few timid ones – they ran away when I pulled out my knife. I doubt there's anyone for them to tell right around here, either."

"But…either way, just tell us where Cooro is!" Husky demanded again, deciding not to press her on the topic of the guards – he would leave her alone as soon as he found out where his missing companion was. Even if Cooro had changed, even if something had happened to him, the dark-haired boy was still his friend. "I have no idea who else he could be with, and how can he possibly be safe when he's so helpless by himself?" His voice became surprisingly harsh. "Why are you so bitter? You didn't just get mad and dump him alone somewhere, did you? You can't do that to someone who can't walk!"

"…Cooro…?" Senri repeated, his voice so worried and pathetic that Nana dropped her eyes to the floor with a sigh.

"I already said that he's fine." She answered again, starting to calm down. "Just wait. He will be back – then you'll understand what happened. I'll let him explain it all to you…it's not really my place… For now…let's just get to bed." Nana distractedly fed the weak fire a few of the sticks she'd gathered, before quickly preparing her blankets.

Husky and Senri exchanged a bewildered, worried glance as she laid down, slowly moving to do the same themselves.

After all…Nana wouldn't really let anything bad happen to Cooro, would she?

The young woman herself opened her eyes a few minutes later, disturbed by the howling of the winds outside as the gusts picked up.

This storm was looking to be almost as bad as the one on the evening when Cooro had suddenly appeared in the orchards outside her cabin, and she'd let him in to spare him from the cold…but this time, there was still no sign of him.

Her heart beat suddenly picked up.

She never had found out what Cooro had meant when he'd said 'I can't'. Was he really the type to be that flat out manipulative, especially if he cared as little about himself as he seemed to? And he seemed to hate being in that wheel chair, too... Wouldn't he have rather flown if he could?

But…she'd seen the markings – they didn't lie. That might even explain how Dr. Gabriel had discovered that they were +anima, and why he'd been so hesitant to even see her. He'd been struggling to hide it all along… And if there was a real reason that he somehow couldn't use his wings, why hadn't he simply explained it to her?

Although…he was so troubled now, how could she even begin to guess how his mind worked?

Her hands fiddled nervously, a few traces of sweat dampening them.

In her initial anger at discovering his deception, all of her frustrations with Cooro had sudden been unleashed, and had gotten out of control… But now, lying in a cavern with only two other people and the storm raging outside, she was beginning to second guess her actions.

Leaving him alone in the forest, when he couldn't walk and when she'd never really gotten his side of the story… Had she made a mistake? Had she done something horribly cruel?

No. He had the markings, he was a still a +anima – he could fly. He could come back on his own. He'd never really given her a reason why he truly couldn't. He would be back…he had to be.

She struggled to dismiss her conflicting thoughts and doubts, forcing her eyes shut.

* * *

Cooro sat alone as the rain kept falling, tears in his eyes and his shoulders burning.

It'd been well over an hour…and Nana still hadn't come back. She'd left him. She'd really left him.

Another sob escaped from his mouth, making his whole body jerk painfully.

He shivered, the increasing winds chilling his already soaked form to the core.

What was he going to do? What if Nana told Husky and Senri that he'd lied about losing his +anima? What if they all got so mad that none of them ever came to look for him? What if they assumed that _he'd_ gotten mad and simply flown off somewhere else? What if they all hated him now, and didn't even care?

Cooro was so tempted just to use his wings, but the pulsating sensation in his shoulder blades – the knowledge that _she_ was around – reminded him not to. There was no possible way he could get away with it with her so close by. She was probably watching him, waiting to see if he would. And…even if she hadn't been there, he didn't even know what would happen anymore if he did – all he knew was that it would be the beginning of starting everything of three years ago over again.

The dark-haired boy caught sight of the empty wheel chair out of the corner of his teary eyes. Getting increasingly desperate, he reached towards it on his hands and knees. He grabbed the back of it, slowly and delicately pulling himself up. The wound wasn't really ready for something like this, but…maybe he could use it like a walker and hobble back himself?

He took a light, tender step forward, the chair creaking and rocking unsteadily under his weight as he used it to support himself, bringing his right leg next to his left. He took another limping step, and then another, wincing as he slowly moved along. He didn't even remember the exact way back to the cavern, but he would get there somehow – he would find his friends. He was determined.

Cooro paused when he reached a small drop off, realizing he was at the top of a slope. It was nothing like the cliff that had stopped Nana from pushing him forwards before – she'd pushed him up this hill – but it was going to make it harder for him to use the wheel chair to get down.

That stupid hill wasn't about to stop him though! He took another cautious step, letting out a sudden gasp as the wheels of the chair almost rolled it out from under him as he pushed his weight against it, he tensed painfully, forced to use his injured ankle to steady himself as he held on to it.

He was literally holding it from falling, the chair almost pulling him down with it. If he tried to take another step…

His ankle all of the sudden gave out before he could do anything else, buckling beneath him and causing him to fall face forward with a shocked cry, dragged along painfully by the wheel chair as he tumbled down the hill. He smacked hard into a rock, causing the chair to fall ajar and him to roll all way to the bottom with a horrible jerk.

Cooro landed on his face at the base of the small incline, panting and momentarily disoriented. He tried to slowly push himself up with his palms a moment later, all at once forced to stop as a shocking pain shot up from his right ankle. The boy stretched his gaze back as far he could, his heart falling as he caught sight of the fresh trickle of blood leaking out from the cast above his foot. The wound had been reopened.

Any movement he made burned, taking his breath away. He couldn't move! He couldn't even get up!

He started to cry even harder, miserable as he lay there completely abandoned and alone – both his ankle and his shoulders burning painfully in different ways, and the wind and rain beating viciously against him, chilling him all the way to the bone.

_Nana…please come back! Husky, Senri…anyone!_

Cooro let his face sink into the mud, the passing time smearing in his mind as he lay there…unable to do anything but wait.

He didn't even know how long he'd been there when his eyes suddenly shot open again, a rustling in the nearby brush making him raise his head.

Any hope he had of it being one of his friends was quickly erased when a coyote howled, the shadowy form of the canine emerging from the bushes, it's eyes narrowed dangerously on the boy.

He gasped in fear, pushing himself up as much as he could as more coyotes answered the call, stepping into the clearing from all angles.

Cooro trembled, gazing around in panic. All of them were looking directly at him. He tried desperately to move, wincing in pain as he struggled to even get to his hands and knees.

The predators all took a few steps forward, closing in on him. Their lips were pulled back in determined snarls.

"They can smell the blood from your ankle…and around this time of year, right when the whether turns cold, and the rodents and rabbits start tucking themselves in for the winter, the coyotes are always hungry!"

Cooro grimaced as the voice suddenly invaded his head – he didn't need _her_ to tell him that!

He didn't respond, still painfully struggling to crawl away. It hurt, it hurt so much, but what else could he do? He had nowhere to go, though, even if he managed to shuffle a few inches back – they had him completely surrounded. His whole body shook as he moved his trembling, desperate gaze from one hungry predator to another, horrified tears still falling down his face.

"You can escape easily, you know. You could destroy them all, if you wanted to. Just hurry and spread your wings!"

Cooro still ignored the voice's presence – he wasn't about to, especially not with her there waiting.

"To those creatures you're nothing but food, a piece of meat – injured, easy prey! They'll kill you if you don't! There's no other way you can get out of this! Use your power, save yourself!"

_No, never! I won't! Leave me alone! I'll won't ever again, no matter what – I promised myself that three years ago!_

"You'd rather be eaten? You'd rather have every last piece of flesh torn from your body and your bones stripped clean as a bunch of filthy dogs feast on you?"

Cooro didn't answer, shaking so much he could barely move. He tried in vain to get to his feet in panic as the coyotes completely closed in on him, stumbling back down helplessly as more blood spilled from his ankle.

The lead coyote suddenly let out an awful howl, the pack of canines all at once surging towards their chosen prey, fangs bared hungrily.

Cooro screamed as the predators tore into him, trying helplessly to shield himself as he felt their teeth and claws rip at his body. He struggled and shrieked in agony as the pack of five completely overwhelmed him, the leader suddenly tiring of having their meal writhing and fighting beneath them. The coyote tightened his jaw around the boy's neck, preparing to rip out his throat.

A sharp blade of compressed wind suddenly shot by, sending liquid crimson flying across the field with a sickening splat.

The coyotes all at once stopped moving, freezing in place before falling limply to the ground in a series of dull thuds. There were huge gashes across their motionless bodies, some of them missing heads or limbs. The pack of predators had been killed. They were dead, all of them.

Cooro shot partway up, gazing at the corpses of his attackers with wide, terrified eyes. He raised a shaky hand to his throat, where teeth marks still remained, hardly able to believe that he was still alive.

"Disgusting!" A voice spat. The dark-haired young man didn't even need to turn around to know who it was, this time actually hearing the words with his ears as well as simply his mind. "Are you really this pathetic? You won't fight back to save yourself, or even get away when you so easily could! Are you truly more afraid of what lies within you than death?"

Cooro still said nothing, making a point to specifically ignore the black-winged woman standing behind him. "…Why did you save me?" He finally asked a few moments later, unable to stay silent as the sobs returned. "I'm still not coming with you, I won't ever!"

The woman suddenly bent down, placing her palms on his throbbing shoulders before the boy could even try to shuffle away. He shrieked, shaking and wincing as the burning sensation blazed through his whole body. He held tight, though, not letting the thing within him begging to be let out be unleashed.

"…You're strong… You're pathetic and weak, but at the same time you're strong…" The black-winged witch started, trying to make sense of it herself. She was actually surprised that he was still managing to keep control. "But it's human strength… You've become as stubborn and strange as all those humans you envy so much. Humans, though, are also fickle – those blazing emotions in their hearts can change in an instant. They can break themselves. You can't escape your fate – if you continue down this path, you'll break too. If I can't make you come with me, then I'll be waiting until that happens."

Cooro panted for breath as she moved her hands away. He kept his eyes, teary and blazing with fear, straight ahead, never once turning to even look at her.

"I'll ask you now." The woman started, forcing herself to keep her voice gentle. "Your companions abandoned you out here, alone against the storm and the wild predators of the mountain base. I'm always searching for you, I'm the one that protected you. Are you still going to wait for them, or do you want to come with me?"

"Just leave me alone…" Cooro pleaded, his voice tired and shaky.

"Suit yourself…" The woman answered regretfully. "For now, I'll just wait. But I'll be seeing you again soon." She spread her hand over the corpses of the coyotes, reducing them to ashes with some strange fire from her palms in order to hide the evidence that she'd ever been there. Afterwards, she beat her powerful black wings, taking to the sky. The only thing that remained was a few scattered feathers, blown away by the bitter, freezing wind.

She vanished into the shadows, staying close by. She'd leave him alone for a while, just as he wished, but she'd be keeping an eye on that boy…in case his companions never came at all. She wouldn't have him freeze to death or be killed by some other wandering creature – she wouldn't lose him now, she wouldn't waste these nineteen years!

Still in a state of terror and shock, Cooro sat completely motionless for a number of minutes before slowly lying back down, the rain continuing to pelt against him as the storm raged on. He didn't even care anymore.

* * *

Nana was the first to wake up the next morning, her eyes suddenly widening as she all at once recalled the events of the last evening. Her heart automatically lurched, the girl nervously scanning the camp.

There was only two other people there besides her, one spot was still open by the fire, and one set of blankets was still tucked unused into the storage bag – never having been touched.

Cooro had never come back.

A sickening jolt hit her in the stomach as she jumped to her feet, running towards the cavern entrance in a vain hope to see any sign of the boy.

She stared blankly out, watching the rain as it still fell heavily down. It'd poured all night, with terrible, chilled gusts pelting by. The winds seemed to have died down and the temperature seemed to have come back up a bit, but it still looked horrible out there, and she couldn't even begin to imagine what it would have been like to have been in the middle of it all.

Why? Why hadn't Cooro come back?

_No! Nana, wait! D…don't leave me here, please! I'll be stuck here! I can't use my wings!_

His shaky, desperate words echoed through her mind, making her fingernails cut into palm as she subconsciously balled her hands into nervous fists.

Why would that be? He was still a +anima – why would he not be able to use his wings? He never had been able to give her a reason, either… But…she'd thought for sure that, whether he wanted to or not, he would've used his +anima and been back long ago…

All of the uncertainly that'd flooded her the night before as she'd tried to sleep returned to her once more.

Where was he?

Maybe…maybe he had used his wings, but had been too angry to come back to them. Maybe he'd flown off somewhere else. That was really the only other option, besides…

What if he really had been stuck there? Stuck there, in the middle of the woods and out in the storm? What if…he hadn't come back because he truly couldn't? What if something awful had happened to him because she'd left him there alone? And she knew that the only reason he'd even asked to come in the first place was because he'd wanted to be with her!

Nana started trembling, unable to suppress her doubts and guilt any longer.

"I don't see Cooro, Nana…" Husky stated dryly as he came up behind the young woman, Senri slowly following after. She'd been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't even heard either of them get up. "Where the heck is he? Should we be worried?"

"I…" Nana started quietly, sputtering. "I… I don't know!"

Her wings all at once came bursting out from behind her, almost smacking her two companions.

"I…I have to find him!" She announced desperately, abruptly taking to the air.

"Hey, Nana, wait! We'll come too!" Husky called, him and Senri racing to keep up with the frantic winged girl.

* * *

Nana led Husky and Senri through the woods surrounding the cavern, scanning every area for any sign of their missing companion.

"I…don't remember exactly where it was I left him…" She explained truthfully. "I flew this way when we were being chased by the guards, and then I hurried back so fast I'm not even sure which way I went…"

"_What_?" Husky spat, aghast. "So you did just leave him somewhere! But…why…how could you do that? He's completely helpless! You know that!"

"Shut up!" She shouted back, her face flushing red. "There was more to it than that!"

"But –" Husky was about to object again, but his words were suddenly cut short as the whole group came to a sudden halt.

In front of them was Cooro's wheel chair, empty and toppled over onto its side. The boy himself, however, was nowhere to be seen.

"Cooro?" Nana called frantically, searching to see if he was anywhere around the familiar object. "Cooro! Where are you? Are you here?"

"…I don't see him." Husky commented. "But from the looks of it, maybe he was using the wheel chair to try to come back on his own, but then ended up falling on the hill here. Let's continue around the base and see if he fell anywhere else nearby!"

Nana was about to agree when she looked down, suddenly catching sight of something that made her breath catch in her throat.

There were coyote tracks on the ground, as if a group of them had stopped and sniffed the wheel chair before continuing on around the base of the hill themselves.

A chill of horror spread through her, making her feel sick.

Husky and Senri had followed her gaze, their eyes widening as well as they noticed the tracks. None of them said anything for a moment.

"_Cooro_!" Nana screamed, suddenly bolting off in the direction of the tracks with the others right behind her.

They all stopped once more just a moment later, catching sight of a dark-haired, motionless shape spread out on the ground a few feet in front of them, partially obscured by the tall, wild grasses of the hill base.

Another hush came over the group of three as they froze in place, just staring.

It was Cooro. He was indeed still there, alone in the middle of the woods. He remained completely still, his face in the mud. Why hadn't he responding to their calling, even though they'd been so close by?

"…Cooro?" Nana called once more, finally finding her voice as she slowly descended to the ground.

No response.

Her heart sunk, apprehension making her start to tremble. A few seconds of silence passed.

"No, Cooro!" She wailed, all at once rushing towards him, terrified of what she'd see. If something had happened to him, it would be all her fault!

The girl stopped when she reached her friend's motionless shape, staring for a moment longer before bending down next to him. …At least he still seemed to be in one piece. She'd been scared that he wouldn't be after she'd seen the coyote tracks.

Nana placed a gentle, shaky hand on his face, trying to rouse him. He was freezing, and completely and utterly soaked. She bit her bottom lip, tense tears starting to run down her cheeks as the others came up next to her. "…Cooro…?" She prodded him again, carefully placing one hand on his back and another on his chest in an attempt to lift him up slightly. A wave of relief all at once spread through her – a heart beat was pulsing against her palm. He was alive, just in a deep sleep.

"Cooro…come on, wake up." She prompted, at last feeling him shuffle slightly. "It's me – Nana! See? I came back for you again…"

The boy's dark brown eyes cracked open just slightly, gazing weakly up at her. "Nana…?" His voice was hardly more than a whisper.

She nodded reassuringly. "Cooro…I'm… I'm so sorry for leaving you out here! I… I honestly thought that… I still don't…I don't get why…" The girl paused briefly, stopping herself – this was not the time to be pressing him for answers. That would come later, now that she knew he was okay. "…Thank goodness you're all right! I never would've forgiven myself if…"

"…It's…okay…" The boy answered weakly, with his usual forgiving response. "I…understand…"

Senri took the drenched, exhausted Cooro in his arms as he spoke, helping him to sit up. "I'm…so cold." He commented quietly, still shaking as he buried his face in his oldest companion's shirt.

"What happened?" Husky asked gently. "We saw the coyote tracks – did they attack you, are you hurt?"

"They came after me after I fell and my ankle started bleeding again. I couldn't get away! I was so scared! But there was a gunshot in the distance, and it made them run away…" Cooro explained shakily, fabricating the ending to his story.

"Well, we're going to take you back and warm you up by the fire… You'll be okay now… We probably will have to stay an extra night here, though…" Husky added, passing Nana a hard, bitter glare. She shrunk away, not meeting his gaze.

She was going to have to explain this in someway or another – they were going to demand to know why she'd abandoned their frail, injured companion alone in the middle of nowhere. But what could she possibly say? She needed to talk to Cooro first, and get her own answers.

Cooro himself didn't say anything more, just letting out a slight sneeze as he rested his head on Senri's shoulder and closed his eyes. The group's oldest member got to his feet, holding on tightly to his younger companion as he started walking back towards the cavern, Nana and Husky following wordlessly behind as the group hurried to escape the rain.

* * *

_We'll leave it there for now._

_Like always, please review and stay tuned!_


	12. Chapter Eleven: Eight Years Ago

* * *

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_Here's the eleventh chapter! This is one of the slower sections, but it ties up some loose ends and goes a little bit into various parts of the past. _

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: **Eight Years Ago

* * *

"Come on, Cooro, wake up!" Nana ordered in a hush, prodding the dark-haired boy by giving a light push to his face.

Her companion tensed slightly, but remained motionless, letting his head fall back into place as she moved her hand away. Nana just frowned.

The group of four had already been completely drenched by the time they'd gotten back to the small cavern – even though the storm itself had largely subsided, it still wasn't weather to be outside in. Using the firewood Nana had gathered the evening before, they'd feed the fire to a warm strength and had all settled near the bright flames, Senri carefully placing Cooro down on a few dry blankets separating him from the cold stone ground and then wrapping a couple more around his shoulders. Nana shivered slightly herself, the single quilt she had left not quite keeping her warm enough – it was true that Cooro was sick, but they were all cold, too…

Nana, keeping her blanket draped tightly around her shoulders, gave Cooro another push.

The boy had drifted in and out of sleep since Senri had first picked him up, never having awoken completely since they'd found him, though he'd occasionally let out a slight moan, trembling and sneezing in his slumber. Husky and Senri had fallen asleep as well by the orange heat of the fire, tired from the stressful search. Nana, though, hadn't been able to even rest, the harsh, angry, and confused glares of her companions burned into her mind. She still had yet to explain why she'd left their seemingly helpless companion alone in the middle of nowhere, insisting that she needed to talk to Cooro himself first.

She frowned in frustration when she still got no answer after a third prod. "Just get up, Cooro!" She insisted sternly, able to tell that the boy wasn't actually still asleep by the way he tensed at her touch and the uneven intervals in his breathing. "I know you're awake. And we need to talk before the others get up."

Reluctantly, Cooro finally opened his eyes in defeat, gazing wearily up at her. "…What?" He asked dryly, still lying down.

"You know what!" Nana shot back, pausing as she remembered to keep her voice down. Cooro flinched, shuffling uncomfortably underneath the blankets. The young woman took a few deep breaths, trying to keep herself from getting too riled up again. "Look…" She started, more gently. "I'm really sorry that I left you alone out there – that was a mistake, I shouldn't have done that…and I shouldn't have said some of the things that I did, either… I'm so glad that you're okay…if anything had happened to you…" Her voice trailed off momentarily, the girl trying to make sense of the confused, conflicted thoughts drifting through her head. "But…why? Why didn't you come back – you _are_ still a +anima, I saw the markings! And why were you keeping that a secret to begin with…I could understand keeping it hidden from others, but from _us_, of all people?"

She waited for a response, not taking her gaze away from him. Could he really not use his wings? At first, she'd thought that he'd been lying completely, but…somehow that seemed unlikely when he'd remained helplessly out in the storm all night, apparently even having been attacked by a pack of coyotes, and still hadn't used his +anima to save himself. How could he possibly not be able to, though? And regardless of what the truth was, she still didn't understand why he'd keep it a hidden from them. The whole thing made absolutely no sense to her!

"…I already told you that I can't use my +anima, okay?" Cooro answered, so quietly that she could hardly hear. His gaze fell away from hers, coming instead to rest on the dancing flames in the middle of the cavern as he completely ignored the second half of her question.

Nana groaned in frustration, resisting the urge to slap him across the face. It was a strange combination of feelings. She felt terribly guilty about what she'd done, and the fact that he was injured and sick again, but on the other hand, she was still furious with him for lying to her. The girl was actually surprised at just how angry she was – it wasn't like they'd even been together again for all that long...why did it matter so much to her? She figured that it was because she and the others had specifically gone out of their way to accommodate him in ways they wouldn't have had to if he could actually fly, but…there was a startlingly sharp, tender throb of hurt in her chest as well that was fueling her rage.

"I've already heard that enough!" She spat out. "Why? Why can't you use your +anima? If that's really true, all you need to do is give me a reason! Why are you hiding it? You have been this whole time…"

Cooro feel completely silent for a moment, his anxious eyes getting lost somewhere distant as water started to dampen his cheeks from beneath them. He shut his gaze with a wince as the tears started to fall harder, as if blocking out the sight of something horrible that only he could see. "I can't! I can't tell you why! I'm sorry! I _can't_!" He cried, suddenly becoming hysteric. "That's why I was keeping it a secret…I don't want to explain to anyone! I didn't want anyone to ask! I don't even want to think about it – it hurts! It _hurts_, please stop! I just want it to go away! I want it to go _away_! That's all I want! All I want is for it to go away!"

"Wait…Cooro, calm down…" Nana's eyes stretched wide as the boy came close to screaming, his voice so pathetic and desperate that she momentarily dismissed her anger. "It…it's all right…" She reassured, forcing herself to be gentle as she placed a firm hand on his back and gave him a few moments to calm down. "What are you talking about? What do you want to go away? …Do you mean your +anima?" She asked the question as his heavy, jagged breathing started to slow just slightly, his eyes still closed and his face still damp.

He nodded weakly, coughing a couple of times as his gaze cracked open again. "Yeah…" He answered through his tears, starting to come back to his senses. "What I said before…about not being a +anima, it wasn't that much of a lie. I haven't used my wings once in the past three years…and I promised myself then that I never would again! I may as well not be one… And I thought that maybe…if I just pretended, if I completely acted like it was gone…that it really would just disappear…"

Nana just blinked, continuing to stare down at him as the first, tiny hint of realization flickered in her mind. "So… What you're saying is that you technically _can_ use your +anima, but as of three years ago, you won't?" She couldn't help the tinge of accusatory crossness that appeared in her voice. He'd made it sound like he was truly unable to use his wings, but apparently that wasn't completely true, either.

"Uh… Well…" Cooro sputtered, shrinking beneath her. "I… I physically could…" He admitted quietly. "But… But I still _can't_ use it, no matter what!"

Nana sighed – getting anything out of Cooro sure wasn't easy. By 'can't', though, he apparently was referring to a conscious choice not to use his +anima, as opposed to simply lacking the ability. "But I still don't understand…" She started, her voice softer. "Why 'can't' you? Why won't you use your +anima anymore? You always did so much before… What the heck happened those three years ago?"

Cooro's tears started to fall harder again, the boy struggling to keep the sobs from coming back as he curled himself together more tightly, trembling. "I'm…I'm sorry… I… I don't want to talk about it… Please…it hurts…" He repeated in hardly more than a shaking, miserable whisper. A horrible wail suddenly burst from his lips a moment later, unable to be held back any longer as he wept painfully. "Please…just stop… Don't make me think about it anymore!"

Nana just stared down with wide-eyes as he begged, realizing that the horror in his voice was real. What could have possibly taken place three years ago that could've been _that_ upsetting to him? What could possibly have made him promise himself to never use his +anima again, when he'd always been the most accepting of it out of all of them? Was this… Was it more than just that…? She watched him sob beneath her, his eyes closed tightly and his whole body shaking. Did everything that was wrong with him…go back to something that'd happened three years ago?

"Cooro…it's okay… Stop crying… I won't ask anymore…" She decided gently, trying to suppress the frustration that welled inside of her. She desperately wanted to know what the hell had taken place, but…making him that miserable didn't feel right. Besides…she didn't have any right to demand him to tell her, not really – they weren't related at all, and in reality, they hardly knew each other now… It was up to her whether she wanted to accept what she had been told…

The dark-haired boy opened his eyes again, looking up at her with a gaze full of pain. "I'm sorry…" He repeated once more, his voice exhausted and weak.

Nana was about to respond when she suddenly heard footsteps behind her, the girl turning to find Husky padding sleepily over to them.

"What's going on?" He questioned, giving Nana a harsh glare that asked something more along the lines of 'what the heck are you doing to him?' He'd probably been awoken by Cooro's cries, though it didn't seem like he'd realized what they were talking about. "Are you guys ever going to tell us what happened last night?" The second inquiry was more of a demand than a question at all.

"Uh…" Nana sputtered, his harsh voice aimed directly at her as the former guard stared at her, Senri watching too as he stirred by his place at the fire.

"Guys…it's all right. Don't be mad at Nana…" Cooro piped up unexpectedly. "What happened wasn't really her fault…"

Husky blinked, turning instead to him. "What do you mean? Why'd she just leave you there?"

Cooro's gaze drifted away from him, back to the ground. "…Just drop it, okay?"

"But –" Husky started to protest, but was interrupted as his dark-haired companion passed him another pathetic, pleading stare. "…Please?" Cooro begged, his voice shaken and quiet.

The former guard was about to object once more, when the tears and desperation in his old friend's eyes shut him back up. He stood still for a moment, debating what would be the best thing to do. Nana silently asked him to keep quiet about it with a gaze that seemed just as confused as his, and more concerned for Cooro than for herself. "I won't do anything like that again…" She whispered softly, only loud enough for him to hear. Husky nodded reluctantly, answering Cooro slowly. "Well…if that's what you want… I guess that's up to you since you're the one that was abandoned…"

An awkward silence filled up the small cavern.

"I'll…I'll go get something started on the fire." The silver-haired young man finally decided, breaking the tense quiet and passing Nana one last harsh glance as he went back to the supply bag in search of something the group could have for dinner, eager to get out of that situation for the time being.

Cooro looked back up at the girl as Husky padded away, his voice so quiet that Nana herself could hardly hear. "Umm…Nana... Thank you, for not telling them…" The boy had been able to tell by the way Husky and Senri were acting that Nana had kept her discovery secret.

The young woman sighed once more. "You better be grateful, because not explaining it to them is making me look like a complete jerk!" She caught herself letting her voice rise again as Cooro shrunk nervously beneath her.

"You're…not going to tell them now, are you?" The boy quavered uncertainly.

"No." Nana decided dryly. "I would appreciate it if you would, but I'm not going to tell them myself…"

Cooro looked down guiltily, not meeting her eyes.

"I'm going to go help Husky…" The girl suddenly announced, not having anything left to say as a hint of spite crept back into her words. "Maybe you should just get some more rest…"

And with that, she turned and walked to the other side of the cavern, Cooro left alone to watch his three companions with watery eyes.

He struggled to force away the horrible, painful memories haunting his mind, guilt once again eating away at him.

_I'm sorry, Nana… I never meant to lie to you, or to anyone… I should tell you… I should… But if I do, you'll hate me…_

* * *

The muffled sound of horse's hooves on soil and stone echoed through the area as the darkness of twilight rolled in, the sound continuously growing louder.

Nana stirred groggily from her sleep with a confused groan, directing her attention towards the small cavern's entrance where the rain continued to create a curtain to the outside. She took a few quick glances behind her, noticing that, with the exception of Cooro, who had fallen back into a deep sleep, her companions had been awoken as well.

"What's that?" She asked quietly, a sudden spike of alarm hitting her as she realized that the source of the sound was coming closer. "Could it be…guards?" The thought came to her all at once, making her eyes widen.

"Quick, Nana, over here!" Husky directed urgently, without answering. He and Senri were already huddled against the left wall, Nana quickly scurrying over to join them as a group of three or four carriages pulled up in front of the cavern.

They were partially hidden from sight by the uneven stones jutting out of the cave's edge, but Nana realized pretty quickly that their attempt to hide was useless – in their haste, they'd left the fire burning, and Cooro, still asleep, on the other side of it. Nana heard Husky utter out a curse as a few voices piped up outside along with the sound of opening doors. There was nothing they could do about it now, though.

Nana let her bat ears appear, trying to listen in on the voices outside.

"What do you think? There's quite a few caverns around here, they're small, but if we put the horses in one and have people gather in groups in the others, we might be able to wait out the rain here – it still doesn't show any sign of stopping soon. I'm not sure continuing would be a good idea."

"You're right, the horses aren't going to take this much more."

"And it isn't good for the carriages to be in the rain for quite this long – some of them are starting to leak."

"Then it's decided, out carriage is stopping here. How about everyone else?"

"We're going to stop here, too. It's no use to continue on alone in this whether."

"Agreed."

There were a few other sighs of agreement as Nana let her +anima vanish once more, taking in a quick, relieved breath.

"I don't think that they're guards..." She murmured softly. "It sounds more like they're travelers who're stopping to use some of the neighboring caverns as shelter."

"Hey, is anyone in here?" A male voice suddenly called, the speaker taking a few steps inside of their cave before anyone had a chance to respond.

The man gazed at the burning fire curiously, cautiously walking in further as he caught sight of Cooro's sleeping form across from him. He was about to call out to the boy when Nana, Husky, and Senri suddenly emerged from their hiding place, knowing that it was no use now. "Umm… Hello?" Nana greeted uncertainly. "Who are you?" Husky added, the three of them walking closer to the man. At least it didn't seem like he was a threat.

"O…oh…so there's quite a few of you." The intruder sputtered, surprised to see the extra three people step out from alongside the wall. "I'm sorry for barging in, I just saw the fire and wanted to see what was going on – we don't mean any harm. We're just a small caravan of travelers currently making our way to the mountainside bordering the ocean. All of the carriages are going to stop here for the night in the caverns surrounding this one, thanks to this wretched rain… You don't mind, do you?"

"Uh… No, go ahead…" Nana shook her head. "We're just travelers stuck here too, it's not like we own the place." Husky commented in agreement.

Before the man could answer, an older woman came up next to him, with long hair that was grayed from age and dressed in rough, whether sturdy clothes. "Hirro, our group is taking the small cavern just to the left of this one. You should come help get the horse settled, too." She whispered, before suddenly noticing the three sets of stares watching her.

"Oh… Hello, there…" The woman sputtered uncertainly, a bit surprised. "Meora, these people are just travelers too, they've taken shelter here as well." The man next to her explained. The woman smiled gently, looking like she was about to respond when she all at once noticed Cooro's motionless shape sleeping on the other side of the fire's orange glow. Her expression changed as she squinted in an attempt to get a clearer picture of his face, her eyes mixing with a look of confusion and disbelief.

"Umm…Meora?" The man prompted, passing his companion a bewildered look as her stare fixated completely on the boy. "Let's get going." "Oh…" The woman stuttered, momentarily startled at the voice as she forced her gaze back up. "…Yes…right. Goodbye, now." "Good luck to you." Both her and the man waved as they suddenly turned to leave.

"Uh huh…" Nana agreed politely, catching the older woman take one last glance at Cooro before she vanished back out into the rain. The girl exchanged a confused gaze with her two companions as they found themselves alone once more.

* * *

The rest of the evening was spent in nearly complete silence, the only sound being the crackling of the flames and the voices of the caravan outside as Nana, Husky, and Senri gathered wordlessly around the fire while Cooro still slept. Having gone back to sleep earlier that day after they'd eaten, they were wide awake by then and didn't want to rest anymore, even though night itself was finally rolling in.

"Umm…hello?"

They all turned in surprise at the voice, realizing that it was the same woman from before.

"…Yeah?" Nana asked hesitantly, surprised to see her come around again.

"Would it be all right if I came in? It's awfully crowded in my group's cavern, and wouldn't mind seeing some different faces for a chance of pace." The woman passed them a friendly smile.

"Uh…I guess so…" The girl agreed after exchanging a glance with Husky. They weren't all that eager to associate with the large caravan – their presence still making the group slightly nervous, but there was no point in being rude, either…they didn't actually seem to pose any sort of threat.

"Thank you." The woman grinned, coming inside. She stopped a few feet away from the fire, making herself comfortable while still keeping a bit of distance. "So you're all traveling too, huh? Horrible whether, isn't it? I hate getting stuck in places like this…" She paused just briefly, rubbing her chilled hands together. "You're all so young – where is it you're going, if you don't mind my asking? Oh…my name's Meora, by the way." She asked the questions in an attempt to be personable rather than intrusive, adding a formal introduction.

"We're on our way to one of the beach villages, to go stay with a relative who lives there." Husky quickly chimed in before anyone else had a chance to say anything, coming up with a story that was similar to what Nana had told the guards earlier.

"I see…" Meora nodded absently, realizing not to pry any further by his abrupt reaction. Her eyes drifted off as she fell silent, once again falling on Cooro.

The other three all followed her gaze as the dark-haired young man let out a slight sneeze, shuffling uncomfortably in his sleep. They couldn't help but wonder what her strange fascination with him seemed to be, though none of them said anything.

Cooro himself had hardly touched his share of the food earlier, quickly falling back into a deep, uncomfortable sleep similar to the one they'd found him in. The last time anyone had checked on him, his forehead had been unusually warm as well, suggesting that he might have come down with a fever. Nana felt a brief pang of guilt again.

"Is he sick?" Meora suddenly asked. "Huh?" Nana sputtered distractedly, stolen out of her thoughts. "Your sleeping friend over there…is he sick?" The older woman repeated. "Uh…well…" Nana hung her head slightly. "Yeah…he caught a cold from the rain."

Meora got to her feet before anyone could say another word, approaching the boy and kneeling down next to him. She took off her large coat from her shoulders, wrapping it gently around the shivering young man beneath her. After just a brief moment of hesitation, she delicately moved a strand of dark hair away from his closed eyes, gazing at his face for a few seconds longer.

"This boy…" She started slowly. "His name's Cooro, isn't it?"

The group's eyes all widened. "Y…yeah, it is… But…how did you…?" Nana sputtered, knowing that they'd never given this woman their names.

Meora just smiled, a bittersweet tinge to her upturned lips and throaty voice. "I knew him a long time ago, when he was still a child. I believe he'd just turned twelve shortly before the last time I saw him…"

Cooro's companions didn't say anything for a moment. Twelve… That would mean that he would've had to have met this woman shortly after the four of them had split up…

"I'm from the port town of Iseem." The woman commented, as if reading their minds. Iseem. That was the village where'd they'd all said what they'd thought were their last goodbye's those eight years ago.

They all still remained silent.

"He served as postal carrier in my town for almost a year…but no one liked him much because of his black wings." Meora continued, assuming that they already knew about his +anima, and perhaps about a lot more of what she was saying, too. "He was really quite a lonely child…and didn't much like the orphanage he was forced to stay at. I worked at a bakery back then, and it seemed like he would show up every single evening to buy sweets. Eventually, I took pity on him, and started to save the day's leftovers to give to him for free. He would stay longer and longer on those daily visits…and he actually became pretty close to me. As time passed, he sometimes even ended up spending the nights with me upstairs instead of going back to that orphanage."

The woman paused just briefly, lost in her memories. "He said that he used to travel around with a group of friends who had just left him and gone off to work separately in other towns… Husky, Senri, and Nana…I believe they were… Those friends wouldn't by chance be you three, would they?" The woman asked the question knowingly, turning back to face the small group.

"Uh…well…" They each shuffled uncomfortably. "Yeah…" Nana admitted, her cheeks flushing slightly.

Meora just grinned. "I thought so… He talked a lot about you… How did you end up back together with him, anyway?"

"That's…a long story…but we haven't been together for very long at all. I only ran into him again a couple of weeks ago…" Nana explained vaguely.

"I see…" The woman repeated, gazing at the nineteen year old thoughtfully. "I'm sure he must be happy to be with you now, though… He really missed all of you. He would always just smile and say that he was sure he'd see you again one day, but in his heart I don't think he ever really believed it…even though he desperately wanted to."

There was another awkward silence, before Nana suddenly spoke up again, curious. Thoughts of the conversation she'd had with Cooro just earlier that day played over her head. It didn't seem like this woman would know anything about what could have happened three years ago if she hadn't seen the boy since he was twelve, but maybe she still knew _something _about what had happened to him – she was a connection to Cooro after they'd left him. The young woman just couldn't let the opportunity go. "But…you said he was pretty happy with you, right? What happened, then? Why did he leave?"

A hint of sadness returned to Meora's eyes. "He just stopped coming one day…" She explained solemnly. "I had my doors unlocked and the food set out for him, but he never came. He didn't come the day after, either, or the day after that… I grew worried, and contacted the village guards. They said they'd started searching as soon as they realized that he'd been absent from his job…but they hated +anima, I know that they never tried that hard…they didn't care that much…" An unexpected tear dribbled down the woman's face. "They…never found any sign of him. I'd come to love him like a grandson…and I was afraid that something horrible had happened to him… I was…really upset …"

She spoke calmly and simply, but more water had begun to form underneath the woman's eyes. She quickly whipped it away, embarrassed at the slight sob that escaped her mouth.

The group of three just stared at her in amazement, not knowing what to say.

"Do you…know why he might've stopped coming?" Nana asked hesitantly, this strange woman still holding her interest.

"Well…" Meora started slowly, unsure. "There was this girl he ended up meeting… She was quite a strange one, that child, but he liked being with her because she had black wings just like him."

Nana's eyes widened. "What?" She blurted out without thinking, her heart suddenly skipping a beat. "A girl with…black wings?"

"Right…" The older woman nodded. "She called herself a raven +anima. I… I never liked her, though. Her eyes…they weren't the eyes of a child. She was almost exactly the same age as him…but she acted much older, and she seemed so cold…to me." Meora paused for a moment, thinking. "He was less lonely once she started coming around, but I didn't trust her… It seems strange to say that about just a little girl, but I didn't. There was something strange about the way she treated him, too… She was almost…_possessive_ of him…and I could tell that she didn't like how close he'd become to me. I was never sure if it was just my imagination, but it seemed like she was trying to isolate him…take him away from everyone and everything else. When he stopped coming, she disappeared at the same time… I thought that maybe she'd taken him away to another village, but…a part of me always worried that she'd done something worse…"

Nana was speechless, the others no doubt thinking over what they'd seen and been told about the murderous, black-winged woman that had killed Niomi and the guards at the city prison as well.

_A girl with black wings…could that possibly be…? But that would mean… Does she really have some connection to Cooro?_

"I'm so happy to see that he survived to grow up after all…" The visitor continued, her memories still drifting through her head. "But…he isn't well…is he?"

"No." Nana answered flatly, realizing that the woman was referring to more than the fact that he had a slight fever. "He's been acting strangely ever since we met again." Husky added, speaking up for the first time in a while. "And he's become really frail, too – he's even been in a wheel chair for a while due to an injury. …He's not a +anima anymore, either."

"He isn't...?" Meora repeated, clearly surprised. Husky and Senri both nodded, while Nana just bit her tongue uncomfortably.

The woman looked lost in thought a moment longer, before suddenly getting back to her feet. "I'm…going to go get something for his fever from my traveling group's supplies…" She decided distractedly. "…I'll be back in a few minutes."

* * *

Meora placed a cold rag on Cooro's forehead, leaning over him as she returned later that night. Nana, Husky, and Senri remained by the fire, leaning against the wall while their minds wandered.

"Uh…" Cooro stirred with a slight groan as the damp object touched his hot forehead, the woman tensing up as his eyes opened groggily.

His gaze immediately stretched wider, though, the boy shooting up in shock when he realized the person sitting over him wasn't one of his three companions. He just stared back at her in confusion, startled.

Meora smiled gently. "Cooro…it's you…isn't it?" She asked, both wanting confirmation from the boy himself and trying to prod at his memory. He nodded in bewilderment, not comprehending what was going on. "Do you…remember me?" The woman continued after a moment.

The look in Cooro's wide eyes suddenly changed, the suspicion replaced by wonder as a name suddenly attached in his mind to the face in front of him. "Aunt Meora!" He blurted out without stopping to think, all at once recognizing the woman who had once been like family to him. His companions turned their heads, realizing what was going on. Meora just smiled satisfactorily.

For just a brief moment, Cooro forgot everything else, seeing only the face of the woman before him. He was still eleven years old, back on her couch in the upstairs of the bakery, most likely awoken for being late for work.

Everything else had been just one big, long dream. None of it had actually happened! It wasn't real, he could start over!

His momentary relief was shattered, however, when the older versions of Husky, Senri, and Nana hurried up to them, breaking his reverie as reality set in. Disappointment settled in his chest, the truth of his situation tasting even more bitter after a brief second of excited hope.

This time…the nightmare had been real. A nightmare…that's what reality was…

"Aunt Meora… I'm sorry… I didn't even say goodbye… I should never have left… I'm sorry… I'm sorry!" Cooro muttered the words quietly as if in a trance, suddenly wishing for nothing more than to wake up at her house and find that there was nothing wrong, that the past eight years had never happened.

Meora placed a gentle, comforting hand on his face, meeting his pained eyes with her own. "It's all right…you don't have to apologize, you don't have to explain anything to me, I'm just happy to see that you're still alive…"

Cooro suddenly wrapped his arms around her without warning, pulling her into an embrace as his tears came back.

The woman blinked in surprise at first, startled, before her delicate smile returned and she wrapped her arms around him as well.

"I'm sorry…" The boy continued to repeat. "I should never have left Iseem… It was a horrible, horrible mistake…" His voice trailed off as he buried his face in her shirt. Meora didn't say anything, continuing to hold him tight as his companions kneeled next to him as well.

He started to calm back down after a few minutes of sobbing, looking back up at her again as the confusion returned to his gaze. "Aunt Meora…just why are you here, anyway?" He finally asked, continuing to use the affectionate prefix out of habit even though it sounded a bit odd considering how much older he'd become, and how long it had been.

"I'm probably going to the same place as you." The woman answered, turning to face the other three faces gathered around. "I'm a +anima, too… I'm on my way to the abandoned seaside fortress after having moved a couple of years ago to another village along the mountainside, and now being forced to flee."

She had been less sure that they were headed to the same destination after finding out that Cooro himself wasn't a +anima anymore, but she could tell from the group's reaction that she'd been right.

Nana blinked, momentarily confused until she remembered that the woman had said Cooro had told her about them before. "You're a +anima…?" She repeated in surprise. Maybe that was one reason her old friend had ended up getting so close to this woman once they'd parted ways.

Meora nodded, pulling up one of her sleeves to show a black pattern on her arm. "A leopard." She clarified simply.

"Everyone in my carriage is an escaped +anima." The older woman continued after a moment. "There was a large deposit of ore found in the nearby mountains. We're traveling with a few groups of miners that are headed there, under the guise of a group moving to one of the villages – that way we don't attract as much attention ourselves. A man named Taru is leading the whole caravan, but we'll branch off once we get to the cliff area."

"…Taru?" Cooro repeated thoughtfully, wide-eyed once more. "Taru's here too?"

"Well…that's the name of one of the main miners. Do you know him?" The woman asked, getting a distracted nod out of the boy.

"If you want…" She offered. "You can come with my group to the fortress. Providing that the whether clears up, we're leaving first thing tomorrow, and we plan to arrive by the next day. It would probably save you a good while of walking."

"Really? That would be great!" Nana beamed, Husky and Senri nodding beside her.

Meora grinned once more. "Then it's settled, we'll leave together in the morning." She looked back down at Cooro, who was still leaning against her. "I should go now…" She commented softly. "You can keep that coat to help you stay warm."

Cooro wrapped it around himself tighter as he reluctantly moved away, still gazing up at her in disbelief. "Thank you… Aunt Meora."

The woman just smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, we can talk more then. Just get some rest and feel better, all right?"

And with that, she got up slowly, padding back towards the rainy exit. "Goodnight." She called, giving a wave. The group of four +anima just waved back.

* * *

Things did indeed go as planned the next morning, the rain slowing to a slight drizzle that promised to fade later as the sun gradually started to peek through the clouds.

The group had woken up early, and quickly gathered the few things they had together in the back of the carriage that carried Meora's traveling party. They left the small cavern for the final time after putting out what remained of the fire, preparing to get inside the crowded passenger space themselves.

Senri pushed Cooro across the dampened ground in the wheel chair – which they had also brought back and dried off after finding him. It was the last thing they had to load, but first they needed to help the boy himself get inside. Husky walked close by, but Nana was padding a little ways back, her feet moving slowly and her eyes set blankly on the ground.

She'd been pretty quiet with the group since the incident with Cooro, and hardly a word had been spoken between them since the questioning she'd given him afterwards.

Something suddenly seemed to catch Cooro's eyes as they made their way by, Nana following his gaze to a large, brown-haired man connecting the horses to another carriage a few feet away. It was Taru, a few of the boys that traveled with him gathered around as they struggled to get the vessel ready for the short journey.

"Hey, Taru!" Cooro suddenly called from the wheel chair, making the rest of the group come to a halt as well.

The man paused. "Hmm? Cooro, is that you?" He spoke before even turning around, recognizing the voice. "So you've finally decided to show up and come back again, huh?" The miner finished tightening the reins and shifted his gaze, stiffening slightly as he turned, catching sight of his former companion in the wheel chair. "Whoa, what happened to you?" He burst out in surprise. The boy had always been frail, but he'd been more than capable of getting around on his own.

Cooro flinched slightly, able to tell that Taru wasn't too thrilled about the prospect of potentially having to take back someone who couldn't walk. He wondered briefly if the miner would've even let him return – he obviously wouldn't be of much help now. "It's…just an injury. …My ankle…" He explained vaguely. The wound was slowly starting to heal, but his fall on the hill had irritated it again. It had stopped bleeding once more, but it was still a set back…especially since he'd only just begun to be able to move around a bit on his own.

"Oh…" Taru acknowledged, his voice trailing off slightly before he noticed something else, the look of surprise on his face abruptly coming back. "_Nana_? You're here too? What're you doing way out in a place like this?" He asked incredulously as the identity of the girl standing a little ways back clicked in his mind. "Why aren't you still with Niomi at the merchant shop?"

Nana tensed, subconsciously balling her hands into fists as the man's words brought back memories that she tried not to dwell on. "…You mean you didn't hear?" She started slowly. She would have thought that the miner would have heard something about the murder since he'd been working so close by. But it was true that his group didn't usually go out of their way to talk to anyone else, and no one usually went out of their way to talk to them, either – it was possible that they hadn't ever gone back to the village at all after Nana had delivered the supplies they'd needed.

The man just blinked, looking at her strangely.

"Niomi…she's…" The young woman's voice trailed off for a moment, her eyes starting to dampen as she struggled to suppress tears. "There was a murder." She finally answered briefly. "…I left afterwards…"

Taru's eyes widened in horror as he realized what the girl was saying. "What? …You mean, Niomi's…?" Nana just nodded solemnly. "It happened the night just after you left…"

"No…" The miner mumbled, genuine sadness in his voice. "To think I never even found out. I'm so, so sorry lass…"

There were a few seconds of silence, Cooro looking down uncomfortably at the ground as he whipped a tear from his own cheek without anyone noticing.

"Is that why you're here? Are you going with Hirro's caravan to go live at one of the beach villages now?" Taru finally continued. The girl nodded again. "Yeah…" She answered simply, remembering that the miner didn't know the real destination of the carriage she'd been invited to join.

"Well…my condolences, and the best of luck to you…" He offered sincerely, before moving his gaze back to the downcast, dark-haired boy sitting in the wheel chair. "Umm…Cooro…" He started uncertainly, obviously still confused about why exactly he was there, and what he was going to do with him now.

"It's all right." Cooro himself interrupted before the miner had to say anything. "Nana… And Husky and Senri…" He gestured to his companions. "We're old friends, I'm traveling with them now." He tried not to let the guilt show in his voice as he announced his previous decision to Taru.

"Really?" The man blinked, looking back at Nana in surprise. He'd never heard anything from either of them about knowing each other. The girl, however, nodded once more. "Yeah, we knew each other when we were kids."

"Oh… Well, if that's the case, I guess you won't really be coming back this time, will you?" Taru thought aloud, admittedly not seeming particularly disappointed. "Then let me get you your things real quick, though, you left them with us when you disappeared."

"Really, you actually kept it?" Cooro wondered in surprise. He'd forgotten his money and everything he'd taken with him when he'd left Taru back at Nana's old house, but there with things that he'd always just left with the miner himself too whenever he'd temporarily disappeared – the last time had been no different.

"Of course! There are things in that bag that are important to you, right? I couldn't bring myself to just throw it away." Taru confirmed, pulling something out of the piles of luggage in the back of his carriage. He walked over and passed the small backpack to Cooro, the dark-haired young man setting it in his lap. "…Thank you for keeping it… I'd originally planned to come back again…"

"No problem!" The miner smiled. "But we should get going now, we're holding things up. Take care, all right? Nana, you too."

They both just nodded as Taru walked back to his own carriage, the group once again heading towards theirs.

* * *

The inside of the wooden traveling vessel was packed tight, filled with about fifteen other travelers. It was a large carriage, but it still had a hard time fitting all the escapee +anima it was carrying.

Nana, Husky, Senri, and Cooro had made out fairly well, though, settling comfortably on one of the main benches next to Meora.

The horses of the caravan had padded steadily forward through the whole day, the light outside the windows slowly giving way to darkness as most of the passengers drifted off to sleep.

Cooro, though, sat awake, staring blankly down at the backpack that rested by his feet. He'd spent most of the day talking with Meora, but her age had taken her into a slumber as soon as evening had hit, and since then he'd mostly been silent save for an occasional sneeze. He still felt slightly feverish, but he just couldn't sleep anymore.

His shoulders had finally stopped burning after several days of feeling that sensation almost constantly, offering a feeling of relief even though his muscles ached with sickness. With the way _she_ had suddenly disappeared, though, he couldn't help but think she had something planned, her words still echoing in his head.

_For now, I'll just wait. But I'll be seeing you again soon._

He sighed, it didn't seem like she had any trouble tracking him anymore – the more he aged, the harder it seemed to be for him to hide from her. He was never going to get away from her…

As his thoughts wandered in the silence of the carriage, accompanied only by the rhythms of horses hooves and wheels on soil and the muffled breathing of those sleeping around him, he couldn't help but wonder what would've happened if he'd never grown to trust _her_ when he was young…if he'd never left Iseem with her…

His gaze wandered distractedly to Meora, memories of the comfortable days he'd spent with her drifting through his mind. He'd felt lonely at the time, but now he wished those days would've gone on forever.

It had been _her _decision to leave Iseem… And he'd gone with her. What a fool.

She'd simply told him they were leaving one day, not even letting him dismiss himself from his job or orphanage, much less stop to say goodbye. He'd never known why she'd wanted to move to another village, but he figured now that it had something to do with how close he'd been to Meora. She'd never seemed to like him being near to anyone else. He should never have gone with her, though…he should have stayed in Iseem, with Meora…someone who'd truly cared about him. He'd never stopped cursing himself for that.

Would it have even made a difference, though? If he'd remained in the port town with Meora and the orphanage, or even if Nana, Husky, and Senri had never parted from him, would anything really have been different in the long run? Or was this just the way it was meant to be? Would everything have caught up to him eventually? Maybe he'd never, even once, had a chance to change anything… He honestly didn't know whether that thought made him feel better or worse.

Cooro whipped away the few tears that were dribbling down to his neck, distractedly pulling the bag he'd left largely untouched back to his lap. This bag was the one thing he'd managed to keep over the years, and he was definitely glad that he'd gotten it back again now, after all. Still lost in thought, he opened it, examining the small amount of objects inside.

They were mostly small trinkets and other insignificant items he'd collected and kept over time, but looking over them brought back some memories – he still had something from nearly every place he'd lived.

He pulled out a pair of goggles with a slight smile, wondering absently if they'd still fit. They were the small ones he'd always worn around his forehead as a child, and had insisted on wearing all the way up until… He whipped fresh dampness from his eyes, giving his head a quick shake as if to clear his mind. No. He didn't want to think about that.

Cooro set the goggles back in the bag, about to pull his hands back up when something else caught his eye. He grabbed the small, black and tan scarf, just staring at it in the dim light as another reminiscence came back to him.

"Nana…" He spoke the name silently, thoughtfully wrapping the soft yarn scarf around his neck as he let this memory linger. A delicate smile returned to his face, the young man deciding to act on it.

"Umm…Aunt Meora?" He reached over carefully, gently tugging on the shirt of the woman sitting next to him.

"…Huh? Oh, Cooro… What is it?" She roused slowly, with a slight start. She still looked initially surprised to see him, but even now, there was no denying the fondness that lingered in her eyes as she looked at him – her warmth towards the child that once been a daily visitor apparently having survived, at least somewhat, through the years.

"Do you…" Cooro hesitated for just a moment. "Have any yarn I could use?"

"Yarn?" Meora repeated groggily, surprised at the request.

"Yeah… I don't need a whole lot, just enough for a small scarf…" The boy clarified.

"Well…I think I might have a little bit packed in the supplies, let me see if I can find some…" The woman reached behind her, over the back of the bench she sat on and into the trunk area as she searched around with her hands, Cooro waiting hopefully.

* * *

Night bled back into morning without much notice in the small carriage, the returning daylight slowly causing the passengers to stir, even though they mostly remained silent.

It was when a few bags of food were passed around that a bit of life returned to the crowded space, the escapees starting to talk amongst themselves once more as the small breakfast woke them up, as did the thought that they would be arriving at their destination in not more than just a few hours – they had already split from the rest of the caravan.

"…Nana?" Cooro started timidly, after having sat in silence for most of the morning next to his companions. "Do you…remember this scarf that I'm wearing?"

"Uh…" The girl turned to him in confusion, the boy absently running his fingers down the black and tan scarf tied around his neck. She'd noticed it earlier without saying anything, figuring that it was something he must've pulled out of that backpack Taru had given him. Now that he mentioned it, it did look familiar, but she couldn't quite place it with any particular memory.

Cooro smiled anyway, though, pulling something else out of the bag that he'd set inside just the night before. "Here!" He grinned nervously as he held out a hand, a second scarf, black and lilac, held in his palm. "I made this for you last night!"

Nana blinked in surprise, just staring at it for a moment as Cooro's cheeks flushed slightly red. "I… I know you're still mad at me… I don't know if you'll take it…but I'd be really happy if you did. I promised you… Remember?" He asked again, still holding it out hopefully.

Nana's gaze widened suddenly as something all at once clicked in her mind, her eyes meeting Cooro's as both of their memories drifted back to a time eight years ago…

* * *

"_Cooro…you have to let go now…"_

_The dark-haired boy just stared up at his two companions, a few more moments passing before the eleven year old Cooro reluctantly unwrapped his arms from Husky and Senri, his gaze falling to the ground as he took a few steps back._

_Nana walked forward as the huge passenger boat gave a whistle, the ten year old girl quickly giving each of her two departing friends a short embrace as well. _

"_Goodbye…" She whispered, stepping back as the ferry sounded off yet another horn, ordering all passengers to hurry up and board. _

_Husky and Senri were taking the boat to a city a ways across the sea, where the silver-haired boy would remain as an assistant to the local blacksmith, and the bear +anima would continue onwards alone to another village, where he would work as an apprentice carpenter. _

_The group of four +anima had finally decided to go their separate ways after arriving in the port town of Iseem, searching for jobs both there and at other towns by sending messages through the ferries. It'd taken a long time, but all of them had come up with something…and now it was finally time for them to say farewell. _

"_Goodbye." Husky, and even Senri, repeated, both giving a solemn nod. The boat sounded another whistle, jerking their attention back towards the vessel. "We have to go now…" The silver-haired boy announced, hesitantly turning towards the ferry. The group of four exchanged final, repeated goodbyes as two of its members boarded, the boat taking off almost as soon as they stepped inside._

_And then they were gone, leaving Cooro and Nana at the harbor…alone._

_It was like that for a few days, the two of them staying together for just a little longer while they waited for the next ferry to arrive. _

_Nana would be taking that one, riding it towards a village in the opposite direction. After a little bit of extra traveling, she'd be arriving at a small town by the mountainside, working small merchant jobs in hopes of obtaining a permanent position. _

_Cooro would be the only one to remain in Iseem. He'd had a hard time finding a job at all, but eventually had taken a position as a village postal carrier. It didn't pay much, but it wasn't a bad job for him – he could get the daily task done easily with his wings. Granted, though, that a lot of the port town's inhabitants weren't too thrilled about the idea of a black winged +anima delivering their mail, and while the jobs his companions had found also offered shelter, he was stuck staying at the village orphanage…something he didn't seem terribly pleased about. But still…Nana figured he'd eventually get settled, and it seemed like things would work out for him as well._

_Nana and Cooro sat on one of the hills surrounding the beach the day before the girl's boat would arrive, eating the small dinner they'd purchased at the peer as the sun slowly started going down. _

"_Hey, Nana… You're leaving tomorrow, right…?" The boy murmured quietly._

"_Yeah…" The girl nodded thoughtfully. "I wonder what my new job and home will be like…"_

"_I'm sure it'll be great!" Cooro answered confidently. "You even get to work on orchards there, don't you?"_

_Nana let out a slight laugh, remembering how much the boy had liked the apple orchard they'd stopped at once in their travels. "…Most likely." She commented with a smile, still unsure about what exactly she'd be doing. She paused for a moment before continuing. "…Things really worked out good for all of us, huh? I mean…all of our futures are looking pretty good now… We've got our paths started." _

"_Yeah! I'm sure everything will be great!" Cooro repeated, as brightly as ever, but out of the corner of her eye, Nana saw a single tear drip down his cheek, catching his usual smile waver a few times before he forced it back on as she turned to face him. _

_For a few moments, she just stared at the boy, her companion briefly averting her gaze as he whipped off the dampness under his eyes. "After all…" He continued. "We've been together for a long time, right? But now everyone's found somewhere to belong…so…" He was trying hard to keep his usual enthusiasm in his voice, but he was losing it as a few more tears dribbled down his cheeks once more, his face reddening slightly as he rubbed them off with the back of his palms. _

"_Hey…are you all right?" Nana asked gently, scooting a few inches closer. _

_The boy nodded, sadness flickering in his eyes even as he tried to smile. "Yeah…I'm fine! I'm… I'm just… I'm really going to miss everyone, though…"_

_Nana bit her bottom lip, still slightly surprised. Cooro had never seemed that upset about the decision to part ways before – he'd still acted like his normal self. Apparently, he was good at it…but now that it'd come down to the final day before he was all alone again…_

"_I'm going to miss everyone, too…" She agreed softly. It already felt strange to have Husky and Senri gone, and in just the next day, she and Cooro would be separated, too. Sometimes it still didn't feel quite real. "Thank you, though, for everything. You're the one that brought us together. If it wasn't for you, I'd probably still be pick-pocketing people in that cave! I promise, I won't ever forget you!" The girl assured determinedly, in an attempt to comfort her last remaining companion. _

"_I won't… I won't ever forget you either!" Cooro wailed, his smile breaking all together as a sob escaped his lips. Tears started running down his face too quickly for him to wipe away, his battle to hold them back lost. He lunged forward unexpectedly, wrapping his arms tightly around the girl as he pulled himself closer to her familiar presence. _

_Nana just stared at him in surprise for a moment, a slight blush coming to her cheeks as the boy leaned completely up against her. His shaking fingers crinkled up her shirt as he wept, holding on to her desperately, as if he never wanted to let her go. After just a few seconds of hesitation, though, the girl returned the tight embrace, letting a couple tears of her own fall with his as the sky slowly went dark. _

_It'd been Cooro who had gone out looking for others like him, it was because of him that they'd all ended up meeting each other. To Nana and the others, the time they'd spent together had been what put them back on their feet, but from Cooro's point of view, she realized, it probably seemed like the friends he'd searched for and brought together were abandoning him. For him, everything was going back almost to the way it was before he'd ever met them at all – finding _them_ had been his goal, and once she was gone, it'd be completely shattered. _

_An idea popped into her mind, something she wanted to do before she boarded the ferry the next day. But night had fallen on the hill overlooking the port, and they needed to be heading back for the time being. "We should go now… It's getting dark." She prompted gently, looking back down at the boy who was still in her arms. _

_Cooro said nothing for a few minutes, clinging to her, before he finally forced himself up, still trying to smile. "But…I'll see you tomorrow in the morning, right? One last time…"_

_Nana nodded, his words repeated thoughtfully on her own tongue. "One last time…"_

_Their visit by the port the next day was mostly silent, a slight dampness returning to Cooro's eyes as they watched the boat slowly come in from the dock._

_Nana reached into one of her bags, pulling out a small, tan and black scarf. "Here…" She started slowly, holding it towards Cooro as the boy blinked at it in surprise. "This is for you… I made it just last night…"_

_Cooro took it gently, just staring at it for a moment. He suddenly clutched it tightly in his palm, a few fresh tears falling down from his eyes. Another smile came to his face too, though, this time genuine._

"_I know it's nothing major…I didn't have time to make anything else… But I thought it would be good for you to have something to remember this specific moment by. Sort of a memento of the time we spent together…" Nana added, a bittersweet smile on her lips as well. She wished now that she'd made something like that for Husky and Senri as well…though it seemed like Cooro was actually taking the parting the worst. _

"_Thank you, Nana… I love it!" Cooro beamed, his eyes slightly brightened, though his gaze fell just a moment later. "But I… You've made so much for us, but I don't have anything to give you…"_

_Nana just shook her head dismissively. "Don't worry about it – I was happy to make it for you! And even without anything, I won't ever forget." She assured again._

"_But still…" Cooro sighed, before grinning again a moment later. "I know! I'll learn to make something like this myself. And then the next time we see each other, I'll make one for you, too! I promise!"_

_Nana just returned the smile, even though she knew that, in reality, they'd probably never run into each other again. They were going to be busy starting their own lives as they headed into adulthood, and with the huge population in Astaria, the chance they'd cross paths again were slim. Normally she would have argued, saying that such a promise was unnecessary, but for Cooro, she realized, having a promise to keep, even something as small as that, was almost like a promise for them to see each other again, too. She didn't want to take that feeling away from him – there was nothing wrong with hope. _

"…_All right… Then I'll look forward to it!" She announced warmly, the horn of a ferry sounding as the boat started to dock. _

_She delicately took the scarf she'd made from Cooro's hands, tying it loosely around his neck herself. "I have to go now, but be strong, all right? I'm sure you'll be happy! You'll have a bright future, too!"_

"…_Do you really think so?" The boy asked, sounding more uncertain than she would have expected. _

"_I know so!" She answered confidently, stepping back as her companion fingered the scarf around his neck. She passed him one last smile, before slowly turning to face the rest of the crowd headed towards the boat. "…Goodbye, Cooro."_

"_Goodbye…Nana…" The boy returned the expression, watching as she disappeared amongst the other passengers. _

_Nana caught sight of him just once more after that, waving as she stood on the balcony of the boat as the vessel departed. Cooro waved back, an emptiness welling in his chest as the ferry drifted further away, leaving him completely alone. A part of him had believed that the four of them would always be together, making the oncoming sense of loneliness only more painful._

_He ran to the very edge of the dock, one hand placed on the scarf around his neck and the other still waving in the air as they both called out their goodbyes one last time, even though neither of them could hear the other's voice any longer. _

* * *

"Yeah…I do remember." Nana spoke the words softly, Husky and Senri watching her curiously as she took the black and lilac scarf out of Cooro's hands with a warm smile.

"Of course I'll take it… It's beautiful, you made it really well. Thank you!" She looked it over – the stitching was rough around the edges, but it was definitely solid. After a brief pause, she gingerly wrapped it around her neck, earning a grin from Cooro. He beamed, satisfied.

Nana just stared at him for a moment longer.

They had ended up back together, after all, all four of them…

She _was_ still angry. And hearing what Meora had said about the black-winged girl Cooro had ended up meeting after she'd left that day only brought back the unpleasant suspicion against him that she'd tried to suppress.

"What's with the scarves? What promise?" Husky asked, realizing he was being left out of something.

"Nana made and gave me this scarf on the day she left from Iseem." Cooro explained before she had a chance to say anything, gesturing to the scarf around his neck. "I promised I'd make learn how, and then make her one the next time I saw her."

But now…watching him smile back at her and feeling the soft material of the scarf around her neck, she couldn't quite manage to hold on to her fury. She didn't understand what had happened to him in the time after she'd gotten on that boat, but he was still Cooro. He was still the innocent, bright-eyed boy she'd once traveled with, and the same one that'd clung to her and wept when she'd finally said goodbye. It just didn't seem possible that he could have anything to do with that horrible, black-winged woman, with what happened to Niomi…

"Thank you…" She repeated again, her eyes reflecting all the thoughts going through her head.

She gazed distractedly out the window, unable to deny the odd feeling of warmth in her chest as they neared their destination.

* * *

_That's it for this chapter! In the next, they'll finally be arriving at the abandoned fortress, and things will take another turn from there. _

_Though...the next update will probably come a little bit later than usual, considering that I have a family vacation I'll be going to and after that will come Christmas, but still, stay tuned, please review, and enjoy the holidays!_


	13. Chapter Twelve: The Fortress By The Sea

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**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_Here's the next chapter! I got it done a little sooner than I thought it would since Christmas hasn't been that busy - I've been completely snowed in. Anyway, on to Chapter Twelve!_

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**Chapter Twelve:** The Fortress By The Sea

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It was mid afternoon when the scenery surrounding the small, horse-led vessel started to change, transforming from lightly wooded, grassy plains into tall, canyon like cliffs. The whole caravan had crossed over to the other side of the river earlier in its travels, and now the lone carriage that'd branched off still traveled next to the flowing water on its way to the ocean shore. Sand had already begun replacing greenery and soil, and sprawled from one high, rocky edge bordering the path to another, spilling up in a cloud of dust as horse's hooves and wheels made their way by.

Nana had continued to stare out the window, the whole carriage quieting down as breakfast came to an end. A quiet, tense sense of anticipation had filled up the tight space in the place of talk, not one of the travelers inside knowing what to expect once they actually reached their destination.

The young woman gazed over each stone cliff that they passed, figuring that the abandoned wartime fortress they were heading must've been carved into one of those cold, steady walls. She knew they had to be just about there, but so far had seen no sign of it.

As Nana looked through the glass, though, something else caught the corner of her eye. She jerked her gaze away from the side window, instead turning to look through the one in the back, behind her seat.

Following in their trail, close behind them, were two other carriages, even though they had long since split from the caravan.

Her heart jumped in alarm, her earlier contentment and quiet curiosity shattered as a sudden sense of apprehension swept through her.

Unless they were more +anima, no one would have any reason to come out the way they were going. The miners were headed to an area further south, and, as far as she knew, none of the beachside villages were located directly down the route they were traveling.

No one else seeming to have noticed them yet, she squinted, trying to get a better look at their followers. All at once, she placed a few of the faces in the carriage in front, her breath completely catching in her throat as her startled eyes widened.

"Cooro…!" She ducked down below the top of the seat, already pushing down the head of her startled, dark-haired companion as she quietly gestured for him to follow her gaze. "It's them! It's the guards we ran into before, outside of the cavern…and they've brought a whole bunch of reinforcements along!"

If both of them hid, she hoped, maybe the group of guards tailing them wouldn't realize just what was in front of them. Since they'd taken to following the carriage, it was clear that they were already suspicious…but they couldn't just attack without proof, could they?

Cooro let out a gasp as he caught sight of what Nana was looking at, all at once ducking down low on his own from where he sat between Husky and Meora.

"Huh?" Husky passed him a confused look, noticing both Cooro and Nana lowering themselves below the windows and seats. "What are…?" He was about to ask just what it was they were doing, when his voice suddenly trailed off, his own gaze falling on the carriages behind them. He suddenly ducked down with a sharp breath of his own, his stare widening in alarm.

Nana was confused for a moment as to why her silver-haired companion was keeping himself hidden as well, when she realized there was a chance that any guards following them could recognize him as a former ally. If they'd heard the stories of his dramatic departure, they were likely to instantly label the large group traveling in the lone carriage.

After giving his companions a few blinks, Senri followed along and ducked down as well, even though it took him a moment to figure out why they were doing it.

"The same guards that attacked me and Cooro earlier are with them…" Nana whispered quietly to Husky, hearing him mutter a few curses under his breath. "They must have traveled to a few other villages and gotten some help, after all…"

"Guards!" A terrified voice suddenly screamed in alarm, startling the group of four as well as the whole carriage. "Guards! There are guards right behind us!" It was an older woman, the frantic traveler suddenly having noticed the large squadrons following them as well.

Nana and the others continued ducking down as a scared, startled frenzy erupted around them, the fifteen or so other +anima realizing the danger all at once. They'd purposely kept quiet about it to avoid a suspicious panic, but now the whole, cramped space was alive with trembling movements and nervous cries. The two carts behind them suddenly picked up speed, taking the abrupt chaos as an initiative to approach the travelers.

"Everyone, calm down!" Hirro, the group's leader, bellowed back from where he sat at the reigns. "If we act casual enough, we might convince them to let us go without a search!"

The carriage of +anima quieted slightly after that, the escapees huddling together in a shaky, nervous bunch as their pursuers came up next to them. The guard's two carts split up, one coming to a halt on each side of the group's wooden vessel. Hirro brought his coach to a stop as well, knowing that it was no use trying to escape.

A few men stepped out from the carriage on the right, the guards that had seen Cooro and Nana among them.

Hirro, the only person outside of the passenger space, passed the officials a look of mock bewilderment. "Hello, officers… What's this about, then? Have we done something wrong? We're just a group of workers on our way to assist some fishermen working at the ocean further ahead." He tried to keep his voice as steady as possible, attempting to come up with a reason for his carriage to be headed in the direction it was.

The guard that seemed to be in charge, a tall and skinny, but cold and taught looking man, just raised an eyebrow, obviously unconvinced. "If that's the case, then I suggest you and those fishermen head back now – there's a huge gathering of rebel +anima in the immediate area. In fact…" He paused just briefly. "My allies here claim to have seen a couple that were most likely headed in this direction a few days ago…and we were sent here on a tip that a carriage possibly containing them suspiciously split from its caravan recently and continued onward alone towards this area. …We're going to have to search your coach."

Hirro tensed, not knowing how to get out of it. He said nothing as the guards approached the door of his carriage, only able to pray that his group stayed calm enough to avoid any further interrogation. He found his left hand resting on his belt, though, where a knife rested. He hoped he wouldn't have to use it.

The +anima inside of the vessel all shrunk back slightly as the door creaked open, only a few able to meet the guards in the eye. Nana, Cooro, and Husky all turned slightly to the side and clung towards the corner, trying to hide their faces as best as they could without looking suspicious.

"Wait, that's them! That's them right there!" A guard with a familiar voice suddenly burst out, putting their efforts to vain. Nana winced, realizing that it was one of the officers that'd seen her and Cooro earlier, and was now pointing right at them.

"And that's…!" Another guard, one that Nana didn't recognize, suddenly started, his eyes wide. "That's Myrrha! The Astar traitor who revealed himself to be a +anima and attacked his squadron!" The startled official finished, apparently recognizing his silver-haired, former kin from somewhere in the past.

"Kill them!" The guard in charge abruptly shouted, not even taking the time to double check what his subordinates were announcing. "Kill those three and search everyone else in this carriage for markings! These are all rebels – dispose of any that you find!"

"Not so fast!" Hirro shouted as a guard suddenly let out a scream, the carriage's leader pulling out blooded wolverine claws from the back of his unconscious attacker, a knife in his other hand. "I won't have you stop us now! Everyone, fight them! Show them we won't fall this easily!"

Nana, Husky, and Senri were already in a fighter's stance, readying their weapons. Husky held his bladed staff in front of him, and Nana pulled her knife from her belt, even going so far as to grab the second one originally meant for Cooro with her other hand. She let her wings burst out from behind her, Senri flexing his powerful claws.

The whole carriage was suddenly filled with a mixture fur, feathers, scales, and sharpened steel as the whole group of travelers transformed and drew the weapons they'd carried with them, surging forward in an aggressive rush as the guards attacked from both sides.

Cooro, the only one unable to defend himself, stumbled to the back of the carriage, trying to avoid the horrible fray as a few drops of crimson quickly began splattering the wooden walls. Meora suddenly grabbed him from behind, yanking him closer to where she stood in the corner as she held her leopard claws over the helpless boy protectively. He passed her a look of surprise, before frantically trying to scan the violent struggle for any sign of his companions.

The fight had already largely moved outside of the carriage, onto the dusty sands spreading out between the cliffs and along the river.

Nana rushed forward in an attempt to slash a guard standing alone alongside the water. Her enemy, however, quickly blocked the attack, moving to the side as the girl stumbled forward clumsily. She whipped her blade around again a second later, taking a second attempt at a hit. The guard parried again as she spun back towards him, knocking the inexperienced young woman back with a counter.

He was about to thrust his knife right towards her chest when his legs suddenly were swept out from under him, along with those of another guard who had come to help as some unseen force pulled them into the freezing waters of the river.

Husky jumped out as they fell in, legs reappearing where a fish-like tail had been but a moment earlier as he immediately whipped his staff around, leaving a gash in the stomachs of another two guards who'd rushed towards him.

"Nana…are you all right?" He asked between breaths.

"Y…yeah…thank you…" She panted, both grateful and slightly embarrassed. "Don't attack so bluntly – you're leaving yourself wide open! If you can't defend yourself, then stay out of the way and don't get hurt!" Her silver-haired companion ordered hastily, running to square off with another guard that had his attention set on him.

Nana just stood there for a few seconds, both terrified and frustrated at her own incompetence. She tightened the grip on the knives in her hands. No! She wouldn't just run away and leave everyone else to fight!

A frightened scream suddenly split the air, this cry separating itself from the many others in Nana's sensitive ears as she instantly recognized the voice.

"Cooro!" She called out instinctively, hesitating for a moment when she realized that no one else seemed to be going towards the carriage to help.

With a determined furrow, she bolted forward herself, bursting through the doors of the wooden vessel towards where the cry had come from.

Meora was kneeling over in pain, crimson spilling from a gash across her chest, and a wound on her furred arm. Cooro was pressed against the wall behind her, shrinking back with wide, horrified eyes.

The guard before them raised his long blade, readying a swipe that would likely slit the throats of both of his victims in one blow.

"_No_! Stop!" Nana screamed, frantically rushing towards the man.

Blood splattered over her shirt, one of the knives going straight into the guard's back. She was momentarily stunned, never having delivered such an awful wound before.

The man cried out in agony, the knife only leaving his back as he whipped around, his face twisted in absolute fury. "You wretch!" He shrieked, slashing his own blade forward before the startled Nana had a chance to react. She managed to move to the side at the last moment to avoid taking a hit near her heart, but still not quite enough to avoid the sharp steel all together.

This time it was her turn to wail in pain, the guard's blade catching and tearing through the thin fibers of her left wing. The middle of it tore easily, crimson falling to the ground beneath her from the huge gash as she struggled to back away from the knife.

"Nana!" Cooro screamed in horror, suddenly slamming a stray breakfast plate he'd managed to grab from the carriage's floor into the man's head from behind.

He wasn't strong enough to knock his enemy out, but it was enough to distract the seething guard's attention away from Nana long enough for the girl to stumble back. She fell to her knees in pain, placing a hand underneath her throbbing wing as she panted for breath.

The guard whirled toward Cooro again, once again preparing to slash the defenseless boy's neck as he pressed himself futilely against the wall.

It was when a blade slashed across his lower back that he stopped, wincing in pain as a second knife carved a gash across his shoulders. He spun furiously once more to face a very angry Nana, who'd managed to charge him again from behind.

This time the young woman managed to parry the man's blade with her right knife, slashing his stomach with her left as the man gagged painfully.

He felt something else cut into him from behind as Meora recovered, slashing her feline claws across his back as well.

The guard shoved himself away with a groan as Husky and Senri suddenly both burst through the entrance as well, probably having heard Cooro and Nana crying out. He lurched passed them, bent over in agony as he retreated and left the five +anima alone.

"Nana!" Husky spat out in alarm, noticing the huge tear in her left wing. Both him and Senri quickly raced towards her, supporting her as she fell back to her knees. "You're hurt! I told you not to get in over your head!"

"Husky…Nana saved us!" Cooro explained shakily. "If it wasn't for her, we probably would've…" His voice trailed off, his gaze moving instead towards the girl herself. "Thank you… Thank you so much for stopping that guard! This is all my fault! It's my fault that you and Meora got hurt…if I'd been able to fight myself…"

"No…it's okay…" Nana panted. "It's not your fault you were attacked…"

Meora placed a firm, comforting hand on the knee of the dark-haired young man, slowly pulling herself back up. "Yes…don't blame yourself. You're injured, and protecting others is what fighting in a group is good for. I'm fine, with a small bit of time and a few bandages I'll be as good as new!"

The older woman then turned to Nana as well, a grateful smile on her face. "And indeed, thank you, child. I'm not quite what I used to be when it comes to combat… You know, you aren't actually bad with those blades, I think you could become quite a force to be reckoned with…"

Nana blinked in surprise as Meora got to her feet, one hand still placed underneath her burning left wing.

Before she could respond, however, the sound of distant shouts and footsteps shook the small carriage, startled cries and jeers erupting from the outside battlefield.

With the exception of Cooro, Nana and the others ran towards the door, looking out in surprise as an army of about ten new +anima rushed in to help.

After a few moments of relieved confusion, one in particular caught the girl's eye.

A man with the wings and talons of an eagle swept down and slashed the leader of the guards from behind, violently knocking him over in a heap of sand.

"…Kazana?" Husky muttered uncertainly, speaking the name before Nana could. He apparently also recognized the +anima they'd once met in Sailand, during their childhood travels.

The whole group of guards quickly retreated after a few more blows from the approaching army, suddenly outnumbered. A few curses was all they attacked with as they entered their own carriages, frantically spurring their horses forward as the hurried away from the sands surrounding the cliffs.

When the dust settled, an uneven coating of crimson dotted the shore and stone walls, a few of the +anima panting painfully as they leaned against their own carriage or plopped to the ground.

However…there were a few more that lay motionlessly on the ground, blood sticking to their clothes and the sand beneath them. There was a boy with a chipmunk tail, another man with the horns of a bull, and a woman with lizard-like scales. Nana's heart caught in her throat, the girl realizing that she could see no signs of breath coming from them.

The familiar eagle +anima, however, didn't give anyone time to grieve, immediately turning to Hirro as the guards retreated. "We should get out of here quickly. Gather all of your group back inside your carriage, and place your dead in the back." He ordered with an out of place simplicity, yet with urgency. "I'm Kazana…one of the highest officials from the fortress. We saw what was happening and came to help." He finally explained, confirming Nana's suspicion. "You'll be safe there, and we have supplies to do what we can to help the injured."

No one argued, the wounded and teary eyed travelers quickly crowding back inside the carriage.

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Following direction from Kazana, Hirro brought the horses to a halt as the carriage came upon a smoothly crafted opening in one of the stone cliffs.

Nana carefully stepped out of the small wooden vessel, lingering in the back of the crowd that made its way out of the door along with the rest of her companions.

They'd finally arrived at their destination, less than thirty minutes after Hirro had managed to get the startled horses going after the attack. They'd been so close…

The final, short leg of the journey had been spent in a space filled with tears. Almost all of the travelers had carried dampness in their eyes, and some had been consumed by sobs and wails – presumably loved ones of those that had fallen in the attack. Those that hadn't lived to see their destination…

Knowing that they were rebels, the guards had shown them no mercy…going straight to execution as opposed to capture. It was really a wonder that more +anima hadn't been lost…

The fact that her and Cooro had been the first ones recognized – what triggered the fight – left a weight on Nana's heart. She, along with Cooro and Husky, as well as Meora, the one who had invited them along, had all received some harsh stares as the carriage had departed again. Though, as the older woman herself had said, the conflict hadn't been their fault. Even if they hadn't been there, the carriage had been doomed to be attacked as soon as the guards had decided to search it…which may have happened anyway after its suspicious veering off of the main path.

"This is the entrance to our fortress." Kazana suddenly announced, pulling Nana away from her thoughts. So far, the eagle +anima didn't seem to have recognized either her or any of her companions – she wasn't sure if he didn't remember them, or simply hadn't noticed them yet. None of them said anything, though, their hearts left heavy and silent following the attack. "It's a shame you didn't quite make it here before the guards could single you out – so far, this is a safe place, the guards haven't yet dared to assault it, and a couple of small squadrons like that certainly wouldn't. +Anima that are resisting the new movement in Astaria are gathering here, along with rebel slaves from Sailand that arrive by boat on the nearby ocean. We would love to welcome all of you here, as well."

He paused briefly, looking over the group of a little over ten that had emerged from the carriage. "We have a few doctors here, as well as supplies, that can help tend to your wounds. And…" His voice trailed off momentarily. "And we will offer your fallen a proper burial."

There was a slight silence, any enthusiasm the traveling group had carried about reaching the fortress largely diminished by the fatal assault. At least the rumors had proved true, though – they really did seem to have found somewhere safe! And somewhere to resist against what was happening…

Nana spared a brief glance over at her companions, one of her hands still placed underneath her bleeding wing. Husky and Senri both looked shaken, but neither had been particularly injured in the conflict – they were both strong, capable fighters. Cooro had been the most upset over the attack, feeling guilty over the wounds she and Meora had received, but Nana was still surprised when she noticed the flare of anxiety and worry in his eyes – the ever present fear in them having brightened back up again. His hands were pressed absently against his shoulders, making the young woman narrow her gaze slightly.

She'd noticed him do that before, but had never understood why. With the way his palms were placed directly over where his markings would be, she couldn't help but wonder now if it had anything to do with whatever he was keeping from her about his +anima. From his slightly labored breathing and tense trembling, it almost looked like he was in pain, but the girl couldn't think of any reason why it should hurt. …Maybe she was thinking too much about it, though, maybe it was just a nervous habit… She couldn't be sure…and if it did mean anything, she doubted he'd tell her what. She wasn't quite aware of why, though, but something about the way he was doing that was making her feel a bit uneasy…

The bat +anima was disrupted out of her thoughts once again as she felt something bump against her injured wing. She turned sharply, noticing the other young woman gently wrapping a bandage around her wound. A few other medical aids had gathered around the injured arrivals as well, doing what they could to quickly get the gashes, tears, and scrapes under control.

"We'll give all of you a more thorough exam later, but for now we'll at least get the wounds bandaged." Kazana explained. "Some other fortress officials will be coming to make sure you're all really +anima, and then let you know where your room will be. After everyone gets settled, the doctors will start seeing the injured one by one."

Nana caught Cooro flinch slightly out of the corner of her eye, the boy coming out of his anxious reverie enough to pass her a nervous glance. She turned away, though, feeling slightly uncomfortable. The young woman wasn't going to reveal him if he wanted to keep the fact he was still a +anima a secret, but she didn't like having to hide it herself. She wished he'd just come out with it, but he wasn't going to…she knew that.

A man stepped up to them right on cue a few moments later, carrying what appeared to be a handful bracelets in his palms. He gave the group of four a good looking over, his face business-like and impatient. "Show me your markings." He ordered. "And then I'll assign you your rooms and numbers."

Husky and Senri did as told, revealing the tell-tale dark patterns the man was looking for. Nana didn't need to do anything, having remained in her +anima form since the fight. She'd decided to keep her wings out in hopes that the gash would heal faster…and even when she had tried going back to regular human form, it was no escape – she still experienced what felt like phantom pain from the injury.

Sure enough, Cooro, though, didn't make any movement either. He simply remained still in the wheel chair he'd been placed back in, his eyes set on his feet. The man nodded at the others, before passing the dark-haired young man a harsh look. "I need to see your markings, sir, otherwise I can't let you in. This fortress is only for +anima."

"Uh…" Cooro sputtered nervously, searching for something to say. His tongue seemed heavy in his mouth, suddenly unwilling to move.

"Well, umm…you see, he's not…" Nana started, stepping in uncertainly with an inward sigh after he failed to answer.

"I'm…I'm not actually a +anima anymore…" Cooro suddenly interrupted after all, not wanting to make her lie for him. "But I was!" He added quickly, noticing the disapproving gaze from the fortress official. "I was a crow +anima until just three years ago… I promise that I would never betray the +anima…I still want to help you fight against the movement!" Nana caught the way his eyes kept drifting back to her as he spoke – he was having a hard time lying with her standing right there, now that he knew she recognized it.

The man just shook his head. "Sorry…the rule is that if you aren't a +anima, you can't be admitted in. No exceptions."

"But –" Cooro started to argue, only to be interrupted by another shake from the official's head. "Nope. Rules are rules. You'll have to find somewhere else to stay. Not allowing regular humans inside is a matter of precaution." The man insisted sternly.

"Please…? Let me in so that I can stay with my friends…" Cooro pleaded, practically begging now in desperation.

"…Can't you bend the rules a little, just this once?" Nana added, taking pity on him. "He's not at all a threat to the fortress. And he doesn't have anywhere else to go…" "Yeah." Husky piped up. "We've known him for a long time, we know what he says is true – he wouldn't betray us." Senri just nodded in agreement.

The man sighed, unmoved. "Kazana, come over here for a minute!" The tone in his voice suggested that he was simply tired of dealing with the problem, not that he was starting to cave in.

"Hmm? What is it?" The eagle +anima that was foreseeing the events landed next to the official with a few flaps of his wings, his eyes widening just a moment later as he all at once recognized the group of four in front of him. "Oh…wait, you're –!"

"Sir…" The man started before his superior even got a chance to finish, pointing to Cooro. "That boy there isn't a +anima. He claims that he was, but lost it three years ago… He's still insisting on being let in with these others, though."

"Really?" Kazana blinked, giving Cooro a look of surprise. The dark-haired boy nodded timidly, not meeting his gaze. "Well…yeah… But please let me in! I want to stay with the others! And I'll still help with the rebellion! Please…?"

The eagle +anima said nothing for a few seconds, before giving a slight nod, much to the dismay of the man next to him. "But, sir –" He started, only to be interrupted by the higher official. "It's all right. I knew this group once, let me handle them." He took the four bracelets from his subordinate, dismissing the man who sulked off with a slight grumble.

Kazana stepped forward, slipping one bracelet over each of their wrists. They were a simple string with a small, rectangular piece of wood hanging from them. Cooro looked at the one that had been placed over his thin arm curiously, the number five-hundred and thirty carved into the cedar plate. "Are you really going to let me in?" He asked cautiously.

The fortress official just nodded with a slight smile. "…Cooro, was it? And Senri, and Husky, and Nana?" He passed them each a glance. "I know it's against the rules that I helped originally establish, but I remember you… I don't think there's any harm in letting you in. Besides, I'm impressed that you've stayed together so long! I don't see why you should have to be separated now simply because one of you lost his +anima."

"Thank you so much! But actually…we split up eight years ago." Nana explained honestly. "We somehow ended up back together in the last few weeks…"

Kazana just let out a slight snort. "Well, maybe that's all the more reason to stay together, then. I like to think things like that don't end up happening without reason. Just like how I've ended up keeping my +anima through the years… I went back to struggling against the government for rights, and recently helped get this place started for the sake of helping +anima from both Astaria and Sailand resist, too."

"So you're one of the leaders of this place, huh?" Husky inquired, getting another nod from Kazana. "Yeah – I figure this place is the best shot I've ever had at fighting back. I'm glad to see you four here…I always kind of wondered what happened to you…"

"We're glad to be here, too." Nana chimed. "Before we heard about this place, we had absolutely no idea what we were going to do once things started getting bad in Astaria." She purposely left out any information of their particularly dire situation, not wanting to bring it up if she didn't have to. Kazana himself didn't seem to be pressing for anything personal, even keeping quiet about Cooro's condition despite a few bewildered glances in the boy's direction, so she wasn't about to go into anything of that sort.

"That's what it's here for." Kazana commented. "The gathering here is still young, but there are more +anima arriving almost everyday, we could certainly become quite an intimidating force. …Anyway, you all probably want a room together, don't you? The spaces on the bridge are meant for four…why don't you take one there? Each room has one central area, with small, separate sleeping compartments that you can each have for privacy. I'll send someone to label a space with your numbers and information right away, you can find it by walking right from the entrance and following the main path along the hallway after it turns left again."

"Right…that sounds great! We'll go in and check the place out. It was nice talking to you again!" Nana smiled gratefully as the group turned to leave. "Bye, Kazana! Thanks so much for letting me stay!" Cooro called from the wheel chair, waving.

Kazana just waved back, watching them disappear into the dimness of the sturdy, torch-lit stone fortress.

* * *

Cooro sat at the edge of the rather stiff bed, his eyes set blankly on the flickering candle beside it as he listened to his companions settle into the three compartments next to his.

It hadn't taken them long to locate the room, the wood plates set on the wall beside the door having numbers that matched those on their bracelets. Husky was number five-hundred and twenty-seven, Nana's was five-hundred and twenty-eight, Senri's five-hundred and twenty-nine, and his was five-hundred and thirty. He wondered if that meant that over five-hundred other +anima had already been admitted before them – if that was true, the fortress really was on it's way to becoming an army.

The door plates displayed a few other bits of information about each of them, too – their age, gender, and +anima…or in his case, his +anima with the word 'former' in parenthesis under it. He bit his bottom lip uncomfortably, letting himself collapse into the old, musty smelling sheets of the bed. A brief cloud of dust rose around him, forming odd shapes in the air as the rusty springs creaked from inside the mattress before finally quieting.

Cooro didn't know how he'd ever be able to relax though, not when _she_ was there, too. The burning sensation in his shoulders had come back stronger than ever, and judging from the extent of the feeling, she was somewhere in that fortress! He cursed his luck, praying that she was only there temporarily instead of having actually checked herself in like an average +anima. If she _had_ admitted herself, he didn't know what he'd do. She'd be so close by, always… He'd never have any relief – not from her, or from terrible pain running down his arms and cresting at his shoulder blades.

He didn't much like the cold, stone walls surrounding him, either… The dim, dusty gray chocked at his throat and pressed against his chest like a dead weight, making him struggle for breath as his mind started to wander. He could almost see the spots of crimson splattered against those walls, the salty stench of blood hitting his nose and the taste lingering on his tongue as the red liquid stuck to his skin and made his clothes cling to his body, along with a few stray black feathers left dancing in the stiff air.

Cooro slammed his eyes shut, pulling the blanket over his head as he felt himself start to tremble and a few stray tears dampen the sheet beneath him.

It wasn't until a knock on the room's door shattered his horrible reverie that he finally looked up again, listening as he realized it was a fortress official informing Nana that it was her turn to visit the doctors.

"Nana…" He called quietly as the girl prepared to leave.

She turned to him in surprise, one hand already on the door knob of the room's heavy stone exit. "Hmm? What is it? They're waiting for me, so I need to leave now."

"Would you mind taking me with you, and maybe dropping me off somewhere while you visit the doctor? I'd like to go outside…like at that balcony we saw when we were exploring earlier…" Cooro asked, his voice exhausted and meek.

"Well…I guess not…" The young woman agreed slowly, probably thinking about what'd taken place the last time the dark-haired boy had specifically asked her bring him along. At least this time they were somewhere safe from the guards, and they wouldn't really be leaving the fortress – there wasn't much that could happen.

Cooro just smiled, genuinely grateful. He was all too eager to get out of that suffocating room for a while. "Thanks… I…feel like I really need some fresh air…"

* * *

The first hint of sunlight appeared from under the door at the end of the dim path, giving a tinge of white illumination to the otherwise orange-shaded, torch-lit hall. Despite the large number of people currently calling it their home, the fortress still had a harsh, hollow feel – any words spoken between its gray stone walls echoing emptily through the corridor.

"…Hey, Cooro, are you feeling all right? You look kind of pale…" Nana suddenly asked, pushing her companion forward as they headed for the exit to the balcony outside.

The dark-haired boy hadn't looked well ever since they'd arrived at the fortress. He still had his hands pressed against his shoulders, his eyes anxious and nervous as they stared blankly on the ground. His breathing seemed slightly labored as well, his whole body trembling and his face flushed white.

"Huh? …Oh, yeah…I'm fine…" Cooro sputtered unconvincingly, obviously distracted.

Nana continued to stare down at him. "But…you almost look like you're in pain… Maybe I should take you with me to see the doctors? I doubt they'd mind. I don't know what it is that's bothering you, but maybe they could help…"

"I already told you…I'm fine. Nothing's bothering me… I just feel a little restless, that's all." The young man answered, as casually as he could. "But –" Nana was about to protest again, but Cooro just forced a smile across his face, turning his gaze to face hers. He made a point to try to steady his breathing, moving his hands back down to the arm rests. "I'm okay, all right? Don't worry."

The girl bit her bottom lip as she passed her companion another scrutinizing, concerned look. "Well…if you're sure, I guess…" She fell pretty much silent after that, still unconvinced. She _knew_ that there was indeed something bothering her companion. He was trying hard to hide it, but she could see the pain in his eyes as his fingers clenched tightly to his shirt, slippery with sweat. …Maybe, though… Maybe the frail boy was still shaken up from the attack earlier…or just not felling well from the cold he was fighting… She hoped that was all…

"Will you be all right by yourself here for a while?" She asked as she slowly creaked open the door to the world outside the fortress. "I can take you back after I get looked at by the doctors, but I don't know how long that will take exactly …" "Of course I'll be all right!" Cooro insisted, trying to sound bright. "You don't need to hurry, I like it outside here."

"Okay… I'll see you in a bit, then…" Nana decided hesitantly, turning to head back to the door after parking the wheel chair by the fence separating the balcony from the drop to the sea below. She passed her old friend just one last concerned glance before shutting the exit behind her.

Cooro took in an abrupt, sharp gasp the instant he heard the heavy door slam shut, wheezing and gagging as he hunched over painfully in his seat. His hands immediately flew back to his shoulders, the boy struggling to keep the agonizing burning inside of him under control. He could feel his limbs trembling, his whole body jerking in pain as a few drops of sweat dribbled down from his brow. _She_ was close, very close!

But at least…he'd managed to keep composure in front of Nana and the others. The last thing he wanted was for them to see him like this.

He forced a deep breath into his lungs, enjoying the flavor of the brisk, fresh ocean breeze in spite of himself as he struggled not to succumb to the burning sensation ripping though him.

The balcony he was on was also made of stone, but it was an open area carved into the very edge of the cliff, towering over the churning sea hundreds of feet beneath the fence. Cooro closed his eyes for a moment, trying to focus on the steady, soothing rhythm of the waves hitting against the base of the rock below.

It was the call of a seagull that finally made him look up, into the vast, cloudy blue stretching far above the ocean. The horizon was perfectly clear – any signs of the recent storm having vanished, but the air still carried the sweet, yet chilled, scent of autumn.

The sky had never looked so beautiful…or as tempting. He watched the flock of birds with a pang of jealously as they danced on the air, absolutely free. He wanted to join them, to leave _her_ and the cold stone walls of the fortress completely behind. He could almost feel the rush of the breeze on his face as his wings beat powerfully behind him, both his body and soul riding on the wind without a care in the world.

But all that was now…was a daydream.

"It would be so easy, you know…if you didn't force yourself to suffer."

Cooro was instantly brought back to his pain as the sound of the door creaking open once more disrupted his thoughts, a voice speaking up as someone padded closer. His face twisted in horror and alarm, the boy whipping around the face the woman walking up to him as the burning in his shoulders spiked even higher. Sure enough, it was _her_.

"You!" The young man practically snarled. He hardly ever felt true anger, it was almost a foreign emotion to him, but for this witch, all he had was hatred…even if it came out more as a terrible fear. "What are you doing here? Just go! Leave me alone!"

"Oh come on…don't start this already." The woman complained casually, coming to stand next to where he was stuck in the wheel chair. She let her black wings spread out from her back, giving them a large, comfortable stretch as if to taunt him. "I have a right to be here, too, you know. The fortress is open to _all_ +anima." She held up her wrist, a bracelet with the number four-hundred and ninety-three engraved on a wooden plate dangling from it.

Cooro's heart skipped a beat as he stared at the tag, frustration and overwhelming dread hitting him as he realized that she was there to stay. She was there because of him, and would remain there for as long as he did. That's where she had gone – she'd beat him to the fortress, and had been there waiting for him to come to her. She _lived_ to cause him torment.

A horrible realization suddenly hit him, rage blazing in his chest as something all at once clicked in his mind. "You… You're the one that's been tipping off the guards on us! It's because of you that they kept finding us!" The black-winged witch just nodded, a devious grin on her face. "But…that's awful! People died in that last fight!" Cooro shouted, furious.

The woman simply turned to look back towards the sea. "What's so awful about that? All humans die eventually… It doesn't really matter when." Cooro's face warped in rage. "You're disgusting!" "Am I now?" She asked simply. "You better get used to it, then, because you'll be seeing a lot of me from now on."

The boy subconsciously clenched his fists, the horrible burning in his shoulders making his head feel hazy. "No! No, you can't stay here! Please…" He cried desperately. "Please leave…"

The woman just sighed, giving a slight, casual yawn. "Relax. Not even I'm rash enough to try anything here, with those hundreds of rebels lurking around."

"But…the burning!" Cooro wailed, almost unable to take the harsh pain anymore. The woman just gave him a light tap on the shoulder with her fingertips, watching him fall completely forward out of his bent position with a shriek. He toppled onto the floor with a thud, his hands pressed so tightly against his shoulders that a few crimson drops seeped through his shirt – his fingernails starting to pierce his skin.

"It only hurts because you're fighting against yourself… Because you're clinging so tightly to this false, painful shred of humanity…" She started softly. "You're the one causing yourself to suffer, not me. If you were to let go of that ruined shred, the pain would end forever…"

The dark-haired boy said nothing for a moment, a few tears starting to fall from his eyes as he continued to writhe against the burning running through his veins.

A false, painful shred of humanity… Those words echoed over and over again in the back of his mind, eating away at his very core with a horrible, cold sense of emptiness and dread. "No! You're wrong!" He screamed, his defiant voice wrought with an agonizing desperation. "You're _wrong_! I…I am human! I'm just a regular person! I'm human! You're the one that doesn't understand!"

The woman just smiled, an out of place bittersweet tinge on those upturned lips. "It's always the same… You don't even realize how predictable you are, my brother."

"Stop it!" Cooro shouted from the floor beneath her, his face turning red in despise. "Don't ever call me that! I'm no brother or yours, and you know it! Just _stop_!"

The black-winged witch shook her head. "Not this time… This time I will break that thing you are clinging to. I will save you."

"No! Just leave me alone!" The boy pleaded again. "Get away from me!"

A silence followed, and he paused, before a question that was bothering him finally escaped his lips, quieter. "What do you mean 'this time'…I don't understand what you're saying!"

The woman just blinked. "But you do, don't you?"

Cooro stared up at her wordlessly through his water eyes, bewildered and taken aback.

"When you're asleep, when your thoughts aren't tied to the life you're struggling to live…you have dreams, sometimes… Dreams where our faces and names are different…" The witch commented vaguely, making the boy's eyes stretch wide in alarm. "What? How did you know about–?" "You do understand." The woman repeated, interrupting. "You just don't want to."

For a split second, Cooro was almost afraid his fluttering heart would stop beating, feeling like he'd just taken a blow right to the chest. A cold shiver ran all the way up his spine, her gaze bearing directly into his as their eyes meet. He felt like she was staring right through his deep brown ones, into something that even he himself couldn't. "No! Stop! You're wrong… You're _wrong_!" He wailed again with a sob, his fear and agony overwhelming him.

The woman was about to retort, when the door to the balcony suddenly creaked open once again. "Okay, Cooro, I'm…"

Nana stood at the entrance to the main fortress, completely freezing in place when she saw Cooro lying on the ground…and the woman hovering over him. Her heart skipped a beat, her whole body starting to shake. _Her?_ She could hardly believe her eyes, absolutely shock and rage possessing her face and taking over her mind.

"Well, who do we have here?" The black-winged witch asked mockingly, walking away from the dark-haired boy and towards the girl standing in the doorway.

Nana didn't even answer, instinctively pulling the knives from her belt once more as she charged forward in a shocked, wordless fury, her only sound a raged shriek.

Her enemy flinched for nothing more than a single moment, simply stretching out a palm towards the girl. The bat +anima suddenly came to an involuntary complete halt, her legs no longer moving even though she'd never told them to stop. Nana looked down in terrified, frantic confusion, not able to even feel her lower body anymore as it remained stuck in place.

"Don't even try, girl. If we fought here, it'd only get us both kicked out. And there's no way for you to prove anything that I've done." The black-winged witch explained coolly, continuing to hold out her palm as her victim struggled.

"Let me go! You…you _killer_! Let me go!" Nana screamed back, enraged. She didn't even know what the hell this strange woman was doing to her, but she could hardly contain her seething fury as she stared helplessly at the face of Niomi's murderer. "No! Stop it! Leave Nana alone!" Cooro was shouting as well from his place by the fence, but his pleas went just as unnoticed.

"Temper, temper… Calm yourself down now, little girl. I'm not in the mood to play." The witch taunted, annoyed at the sudden intrusion.

"Let me _go_!" Nana ordered again, her frustrated face red, with sweat dampening her trembling limbs. "And stop talking to me like a child, you wretch! You can't be more than a year or two above me!"

"…Really?" The woman let out a slight laugh, though her tone was surprisingly serious.

She paused just briefly, before hardening her face. "…Look, _girl_, whether you believe it or not, I don't actually have anything against you personally." She took a few steps closer to the restrained Nana, staying just far enough away to avoid the slash of the knife aimed at her stomach. "I don't specifically _want_ to hurt you, and since I'll be letting you go this time, take this as a bit of friendly advice…stay away from that boy."

"Why?" Nana spat defiantly, trying to keep herself under control – not matter how much she struggled, it was no use. "What do you want with Cooro? What are you going to do to him?"

The woman just smiled. "I don't feel the need to explain it to you. But it's for your own good that I'm telling you to keep away…if you remain with him, you'll eventually end up dead, even if it's not by my hands."

Not by her hands? But then…? The bat +anima blinked in confusion. "Huh? What are…?"

"I already said that I'm not going to explain it to you." The black-winged witch repeated sternly. She suddenly went quiet for just a few seconds, hesitating. She lowered her voice, loud enough to where only she and Nana could hear. "But…I will tell you this. You have no reason not to heed my advice. That boy – the one you call Cooro – he doesn't even exist, he never did."

Nana said absolutely nothing for a moment, just staring at the woman in shock. Cooro…not existing? What a completely bizarre thing to say!

"What the heck are you talking about?" She demanded, bewilderment creeping into her enraged voice. "Of course he exists! He's sitting right over there!" She pointed over towards Cooro as she spoke. The boy was still on the ground, but had managed to get himself up enough to lean on the bottom of the wheel chair after his unexpected visitor had backed off, and sat watching them with tense, horrified eyes, unable to do anything.

This time, though, the black-winged woman didn't even answer, suddenly brushing passed Nana without a word and shutting the balcony door behind her as she vanished.

The feeling came back into Nana's lower body just seconds later, but she remained steadfast to the spot, a look of confusion still lingering on her face as the witch disappeared. Realizing that she once more had control of her legs, she tightened the grips on her knives again, ready to burst down the hall in pursuit of her enemy.

"No! Nana, stop! Don't go after her! Just let her go away!"

The girl heard Cooro's frantic voice from behind, a strange chill suddenly sapping the energy out of her muscles. She turned to face him.

She just gazed at him for a few moments, before slowly padding towards the fence where he sat.

Nana stopped over him, staring down at Cooro with eyes that must've betrayed her bewilderment. She distractedly reached down a hand, carefully helping him back into the wheel chair.

Cooro returned the same gaze she was giving him, equally confused, when he realized the young woman wouldn't let go of his left hand. She was clutching it tightly with her own, glaring down absently as she let his fingers weave limply through hers.

_That boy – the one you call Cooro – he doesn't even exist, he never did._

She felt a shiver run up her spine, the words of that horrible woman drifting back through her head. Why would the wretch say something like that? It was completely crazy!

Nana put her right palm on top of Cooro's left as well, feeling his hand rest between both of hers. It was completely solid – the warm flesh damp with sweat as his bony fingers twitched nervously against her own. She caught his anxious gaze directly, searching his brown eyes for any sign of another soul staring back at her.

"Umm…Nana?" It was the voice of the boy himself that suddenly brought her back to reality, his cheeks flushing slightly red as he shrunk under her intent, invasive stare.

"O…oh!" She abruptly pulled away, releasing his hand and breaking her trance-like gaze.

A few seconds of silence passed, this time it being Cooro's turn to give her a look of bewilderment. What the heck had _she_ told his old friend? He could tell from the odd way Nana was looking at him that she'd said _something_ strange. He said nothing about it, though, not wanting to bring anything she might have told her up at all. "Uh…are you okay? Are you all right? She didn't hurt you, did she?" He asked in concern.

The girl gave her head a quick, dismissive shake, as if to clear her mind, suddenly feeling slightly embarrassed.

What was she thinking? Why was she letting those words bother her? She shouldn't even take anything that sadistic, horrible killer said seriously. It was ridiculous! Of course Cooro was real! She knew that!

"N…no. I don't know what the hell happened to me there, but I…I'm okay now…" She finally answered. "…How about you? Are you all right?"

Cooro just nodded briefly, staring at his feet. "I'm okay…too."

There was an awkward silence, Nana biting her tongue nervously as she carefully considered what to say next. Despite how ridiculous what that woman had said was…between catching the killer with her old friend, being told by her to stay away from him, and what Meora had said before, it was impossible now to deny that she had at least some connection to Cooro…

"That's…the third time we've run into that wretched killer, now. Nana started hesitantly. "Cooro, please tell me…why do we keep coming across her? You know why, don't you? …When you were asleep once, Meora said something about you meeting and eventually leaving Iseem with a black-winged girl, that was her, wasn't it? Just what is your relationship with that awful woman?"

Cooro's whole body suddenly tensed, his fingernails digging into the arm rests of his wheel chair. "No! I…I don't know why we keep running into her! I have no idea!" He sputtered over defensively. "I… She's just here now because she checked herself in like any other +anima… That's all I know…"

Nana felt a brief tinge of disappointed, realizing that he was flat out lying to her – a part of her hadn't expected him to again after she'd discovered his first lie.

"But…"

The girl's interest perked up again as the boy suddenly continued, a new honesty in his tone catching her attention.

"It's true that…I did know her at one point…" Cooro admitted. "I met her shortly after you left, and I did end up leaving Iseem with her… She pretended to my friend…she hid who she really was, I didn't realize…" His voice trailed off, before a sudden fury blazed in his normally fearful eyes. "I _hate_ her! I absolutely hate her!" He practically screamed, his voice rising to a pitch that made Nana's gaze widen.

It took her a moment to figure out why the scene in front of her seemed so strange, before she realized that she didn't think she'd ever seen Cooro angry before. Not even once, either as a child or since she'd come across him again. He was usually always forgiving, no matter what, but there wasn't a single trace of such a feeling in his gaze then, his stare filled with nothing but rage and despise.

"…Her name's Catherine…" The dark-haired boy suddenly continued, calming down slightly as much of the anger in his eyes was replaced once again by meek, anxious defeat. He never really thought of her by that name…back when he'd been with her, she'd always placed a finger to his lips whenever he'd spoken it, telling him to simply call her 'sister'. He felt his fists subconsciously clench again. "I don't really know why…but she was deceiving me. She betrayed me…"

"Three years ago?" Nana suddenly added, finishing on her own as his voice trailed off. It was only a guess, but she hadn't been able to stop herself from saying it.

"Uh…" Cooro immediately tensed again, taken aback. "I… Uh…well… Sort of…" He answered vaguely, his voice quavering uncomfortably.

_It was…because of what she did to me, but it was still my fault… I was the one that…_

He hung his head, suddenly falling silent.

Nana sighed, the mention of three years ago apparently shutting him up. He was starting to look upset again, too, making the young woman realize she'd reached the limits of what she was going to able to get out of him. There was just one question, though, that still burned in her mind, aching on her tongue.

_Did the fact that Niomi was murdered, have anything to do me inviting you to stay? Was it because of that, that I lost everything? If I'd sent you away…would Niomi still be alive?_

But a part of her…almost didn't want to know the answer. She was afraid of what would happen, and afraid of what she'd hear, if that question left her lips. What would happen to her? What would she feel, if…?

"…Nana…" Cooro piped up quietly, his gaze resting on his shoes. "Let's just go back to the room now… I don't feel very good…" He pleaded pathetically. The boy dreaded going back to those stone walls, but he suddenly really didn't want to be there, either.

"All right…" In the end, Nana's questions remained unspoken in her mouth, the girl just shuffling behind and grabbing the handle bars of Cooro's wheel chair.

Yes…they needed to go back. As much as it drove her mad, there was nothing they could do about that awful woman for the moment, except hope she'd mind herself in a place such as the fortress.

She didn't feel that good, either… She'd just received stitches in her torn wing from the fortress doctors, and sudden fear and exhaustion was setting in…along with a new sense of dread welling in her chest.

Pushing her now silent companion along, Nana once again entered the cold, stone hall…heading straight towards the private room where Husky and Senri would be waiting.

* * *

_Well...that's it for this chapter - they finally arrived at the fortress now, but things are going to take another drastic turn soon..._

_Please let me know what you think, and stay tuned!_


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Tragedy

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_All right, here's the next update - Chapter Thirteen._

_On a random, yet +Anima related note, I finally got my hands on and finished the tenth volume last week - I loved the ending!_

_...Anyway, now back to the fic. This chapter has some pretty important sections to it. _

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen:** Tragedy

**

* * *

**

The creak of a closing door echoed through the small, stone room, ending with a slight thud as the heavy entrance latched shut. Footsteps followed as Husky walked away from the doorway of one of the four sleeping spaces, back towards the rickety, wooden table in the left corner of the room's communal area. Senri and Nana sat around it with mostly untouched plates in front of them, passing their companion a glance as he approached the dinning table alone. None of them said anything for a moment.

"…You guys…" Husky suddenly started with his eyes set distractedly on the floor, careful to keep his voice quiet. "I'm really starting to get worried about Cooro…"

Nana just sighed, tiredly leaning over the table on her elbows. "He didn't want to eat with us this time, either?"

The former guard just shook his head. "No. He's hardly gotten out of bed at all for several days, now…"

It'd been about two weeks since the four of them had checked into the old war fortress where rebel +anima were gathering, and Cooro had spent much of that time alone in his small sleeping quarter. He'd started acting strange almost as soon as they'd arrived, and in the days that'd followed, had quickly gone from just seeming a little extra out of sorts, to ill.

Husky had gone to invite Cooro to join them during breakfast, but once again, he'd refused. The last time he'd shared a meal at the table had been for dinner three days ago, and since then, they'd hardly been able to pry him out of bed at all anymore. The constant fear in his eyes was blazing more than ever, no longer dimming for so much as a moment. His anxious gaze was often covered by his eyelids, however, the boy usually just laying on the old mattress with his whole body tense – shaking and sweating underneath the musty blankets he'd wrapped around himself. He always kept his hands pressed against his shoulders, too, his breath coming in strained, irregular rhythms.

The three of them had been quick to alert the doctors that resided in the fortress, despite Cooro's pleas for them not to. But so far, the man that came to look their companion over every afternoon hadn't been much help. The only thing he'd found were the symptoms of the cold the boy had caught on his night out in the rain near the caverns, but even though that sickness was actually starting to fade, and his ankle was healing fine again, Cooro himself seemed to be getting worse.

Nana had to admit being relieved that the fact she'd left him out alone in that storm wasn't the cause of his suffering, but that didn't do anything to ease the worry she felt as she observed the frustrated face of the doctor growing increasingly grim with each visit. The man had stated that the boy did show signs of being in severe pain, but hadn't been able to find anything at all that could've been causing it.

It probably didn't help, however, that Cooro himself protested every step of the way. He wouldn't give any hints about what was wrong, and still insisted that he was fine, even though a complete stranger could've picked up that lie just by looking at him. At least he didn't have to hide that he was a +anima in front of the doctor this time – regardless of the fact he hadn't formally checked in as one, the man probably hadn't even realized that he wasn't supposed to be a +anima. That didn't seem to make their dark-haired companion any more cooperative, though...most of the time, now, he just seemed to want to be left alone. Even when the concerned Meora came by to visit, he mostly remained silent.

"Did you leave his food by the bed again?" Nana finally replied, absently fidgeting with her fork as she spoke.

Husky nodded. "Yeah, I did, but… He looked worse than ever!" He paused slightly, biting his bottom lip. "…This is starting to get bad… Cooro's not getting better, and no one can tell us what's wrong…" The former guard's voice trailed off once more, before he hesitantly continued. "He's so weak now… If this doesn't stop…I'm afraid that…"

This time he fell completely silent, not even finishing his statement as Senri's and Nana's gazes dropped to their feet. They'd been trying not to think like that.

There was another silent moment before Husky suddenly spoke up again, his voice determined. "We have to try to do something ourselves! He can't stay like this anymore – we need to find someway to help him get better!"

"But what _can_ we do?" Nana sighed downheartedly. "We've already been doing everything we can… He won't even tell us what's wrong!"

She was just as worried as Husky, but the girl herself had hardly spoken with Cooro since the incident on the balcony. Neither of them had brought up the horrible, black-winged woman that they knew was lurking somewhere around the fortress' stone halls, but even before he'd started getting sicker, she'd felt a bit awkward around her dark-haired companion after their last conversation.

"Well…" Husky started, sounding uncertain. "I don't know why…or if it was just a fluke, but do you remember that last assignment I had outside of the fortress, when he actually asked to come with me? It was strange – after we'd been out there for a little while, he perked right up! …I was thinking that maybe one of us should volunteer for the group leaving for supplies today, and then ask him to come along…"

Staying with the rebel group wasn't offered for free – everyone there had to do their part in keeping the fortress running. Mostly, they were assigned jobs within the building itself – such as cooking or cleaning, but on occasion, +anima would be sent out to nearby beaches or villages on tasks. There was indeed a group departing on a short trip to a village later that day… None of the three of them had been asked to go, but that didn't necessarily mean they couldn't, if they wanted to.

"If you think it might help him, I guess we could try…" Nana agreed quietly, realizing that the only time Cooro seemed to want to do anything was when it involved getting out of that stone fortress. "Maybe we can get him out of bed that way, at least…"

"Right." Husky nodded again, glad that the others seemed as concerned as he did. He hadn't been able to become particularly close to Cooro after rejoining his childhood companions, but he couldn't stand watching his weak old friend become sicker and sicker. "Then…which one of us should go?"

There was another silence.

"…Nana…" Senri suddenly decided aloud, pointing at the young woman sitting across from him. Nana jerked up from her slump in surprise. "What? Senri, why me?" "…Likes being with you…" Senri explained briefly, getting another sigh out of the girl as she recalled all the times their frail companion had asked to come with her before. For whatever reason, Cooro did seem to like having her company. Maybe it was because the two of them had ended up back together alone for awhile, before they'd reunited with Husky and Senri as well… She didn't know.

"Fine…" She agreed reluctantly. "…I guess I could really use a trip out of this place, as well. And the group is supposed to be back by nightfall, anyway…"

Husky suddenly raised an eyebrow. "If you take him with you, you _will_ actually bring him back this time, right? You're not going to end up getting mad and just abandoning him on the trail or throwing him off a cliff, or something?"

"N…no! Of course not!" Nana sputtered, taken aback. They still didn't know the whole story, but her companions had yet to let the incident near the caverns go. "I would never do something like that! And I won't just leave him somewhere this time, either! I know that was bad, okay? You don't need to keep reminding me!"

"All right…" The silver-haired boy finally breathed. "Then you better go sign up pretty quickly." Nana just followed with another sigh of her own. "Yeah…I will after breakfast."

* * *

Cooro lay silently in his dim sleeping quarter, his trembling body scrunched together uncomfortably as he gritted his teeth, fighting against the terrible pain blazing in his shoulders and running down his arms.

He'd managed to endure the burning sensation for long periods before – he'd felt it during almost their entire journey to the fortress itself – but never at the current intensity…

_She _was way too close! And it made the pulsating throb within him almost unbearable. He wasn't even able to keep composure in front Husky, Senri, and Nana anymore… He tried, but he knew they were worried… They knew there was something wrong. The three of them insisted on having that stupid doctor come, too, but there wasn't a thing that man, or any other doctor, could do for him.

Despite the fact that _she_, Catherine, was probably only a short ways down the hall, she wasn't likely to hurt anyone in a place like the fortress. For once, they were actually safe…so long as he continued to resist against the pain, so long as he didn't give in.

What was the worst though, was that there was no end in sight. He honestly didn't know how much longer he could fight the burning, but what else could he do? Even if he could find someway to leave the fortress, she'd simply follow him. There wasn't anyway he could get far away from her long enough for any lasting relief.

A horrible sense of dread welled in the pit of his stomach, weighing both his body and spirit down like lead. She really had him good this time – it didn't seem like he could ever escape from her anymore… But, then…

Cooro glanced absently over at the candle burning by his bedside, next to the plate of untouched food Husky had left.

He still had a slight scar on his palm, from the night before he'd left Taru and later found Nana. Now, though, he was almost desperate enough to stick his hand into the flame again, and let the pain of the physical burn distract him once more from the agonizing one raging inside him.

But in the end, he never moved either palm from his shoulder blades. Doing something like that would only upset his companions even more. And even if it could sever the painful connection temporarily, with her waiting so close by, the throbbing would quickly come right back. It was useless – there was absolutely nothing he could do!

Cooro helplessly closed his eyes again, pressing his face against the musty smelling pillow and pulling the tattered old quilt all the way over his head. He struggled not to think about how trapped he was, about the burning pulse running through his veins or the looming stone walls surrounding him. If he could just sleep again, he could escape…if only for a short while.

He only just began to feel the black haze of slumber come over him once more when the sound of the door creaking open scared it away, a new sliver of light appearing at the edge of his vision and waking up his senses.

"…Nana?" The young man muttered quietly as he shuffled, lifting his head from the pillow to gaze at the doorway as a familiar figure took a few steps inside.

"Hey, Cooro." Nana greeted casually, knowing that her companion liked it the best when they acted like nothing was wrong. "…I wanted to get out of here for a bit, so I signed up to join the group fetching supplies at the village just over the mountain pass. I'm leaving pretty soon…but I'd really like it if you came with me…"

Cooro blinked in surprise, suddenly pushing himself partway up as he stared back at her with a look of disbelief. "…You mean…you actually want _me_ to come with you?"

He didn't like asking for things, but out of desperation to get out of that suffocating stone-walled room, and away from _her_, even for just a few short minutes, he'd started bothering his companions to take him with them whenever he heard that they were leaving that building. He'd even gone on a similar errand with Husky the week prior, but this was the first time one of his old friends had actually asked _him_ to come along. Unless it was something simple, like trying to get him to join them at the table, they never seemed particularly excited about his company… He was especially surprised that it was Nana – he'd thought she was still a bit mad.

"Yeah." Nana nodded. "It's kind of lonely going by myself…"

"…Then why don't you just ask Husky or Senri?" The young man inquired, still bewildered.

"Well…" The girl started. "I could, I guess… But I was kind of hoping you'd come… I haven't seen you much for a while, so…"

Cooro felt a warmth in his chest, making his features brighten for the first time in days. He passed the young woman a small grin. "S…sure! I'd love to go with you!"

Nana just returned the smile, suddenly feeling slightly guilty. There was an innocence to the happiness that'd suddenly invaded his anxious eyes that reminded her of when he was a child. The truth was, though, that she probably would never have thought to ask him to come for something like that if he hadn't been sick… She wouldn't have thought it would mean that much to him. "Okay…good! You better get ready, then."

Cooro was out from under the blankets just moments later, supporting himself against the bedside table as he hobbled to his wheel chair on his own. If nothing else, he had to admit that just lying there in bed so much had been doing his injured ankle good. He'd reinjured it after trying to get home from the hill near the caverns they'd stayed at, but thankfully it'd healed again fairly quickly, and he was starting to be able to use it minimally again. He still couldn't really get around on his own yet, though…

Nana walked up and took the handle bars as he sat down. He was still trembling, a few drops of sweat dribbling down from his brow. She could tell that her companion was feeling as awful as ever, but he was trying to hide it again.

Taking him with her, she headed out of the sleeping space and towards the door of the room's main area without saying anything else.

* * *

"Wow!" Cooro chimed, gazing down the edge of the cliff as Nana pushed him along the cleared mountain trail. "The view from up here's so pretty!"

They were traveling with a large group of about twenty-five other +anima, taking a path that had been created by the fortress rebels earlier as they cut right through the edge of the mountains on their way to a small beach village that rested just on the other side. In reality, it was quite a short trip, even though it looked a bit intimidating – they actually only ascended minimally, and the route continued on straight almost the whole time.

The side of the mountain bordered them on the left, and on their right, the ground dropped off to a cliff. The edge of another small hill walled the area beneath it, creating a canyon. In that area below them, under the cliffs, a few small creeks flowed their way by, lined with a few persistent wildflowers that refused to give in to the autumn chill. And beyond that, looking passed the hill creating the other canyon wall, the ocean was visible, the sparkling blue surface connecting to the horizon as the afternoon sun reflected off its face.

Cooro still loved seeing the world from up high – something he hadn't gotten to do much after he'd stopped using his wings.

"Yeah, it is pretty..." Nana agreed with a slight giggle as Cooro smiled up at her, enjoying the fresh air herself.

She hesitated a moment before saying anything else, continuing to stare down at her companion as he went back to gazing across the cliff. What Husky'd said had been true. Sure enough, now that they'd been out for a while, there'd been a drastic change in Cooro. His muscles had finally relaxed, his hands returning to the arm rests as his breathing calmed to a steady rhythm. He almost seemed completely normal…or at least, as normal as he ever did. Did the way he'd been feeling have something directly to do with the fortress itself…or maybe that black-winged witch who'd been lurking there? But how could that be?

"Cooro…" The young woman finally started slowly. "Why are you suddenly so much better? You seemed so sick, back at the fortress…"

"Hmm?" Her dark-haired companion looked up at her in surprise, slightly taken aback as he searched for an answer. "Uh… Well…I guess the fresh air and the change of scenery just help a bit… I don't really like it in there too much… But like I've been saying, I'm fine – I've just been kind of tired lately."

Nana only groaned. "Come on…you were definitely _not_ fine – the way you were earlier goes entirely beyond simply not liking it there or being tired! Why won't you tell us what's wrong? We're really worried about you, you know…"

Cooro's gaze fell away from hers, resting blankly on the path straight ahead. "It's nothing. You don't need to worry, okay…?"

"Of course we're going to worry!" Nana spat back more harshly than she'd intended, finding herself quickly getting frustrated once more. "I mean you… You're pretty frail… You shouldn't be sick for that long…"

The boy never looked up, his own contented mood suddenly having completely vanished again as well. "I'm not sick, all right? I don't need doctors or anything like that! Please…don't stress about me…" He paused for a moment, hesitating, before continuing with a weak, quiet voice. "And besides…what would it matter, anyway? If one day I just didn't wake up? You'd all be better off, anyway…"

"What?" Nana's eyes widened, the girl suddenly freezing in place, shocked. "What're you…? Don't even say something like that! Do you even realize how upset we'd be?"

"Why?" Cooro asked dryly, his voice hinting that he genuinely didn't know the answer. "I haven't been anything but a burden… If you think about it…why should it even bother you if I was gone? You wouldn't have to deal with me anymore, then…"

"B…but, you're not a burden – you're our friend! You're one of us!" Nana sputtered, hardly able to believe what she was hearing. "We want to help you get better! We'd be devastated, if… If you…"

"Why?" Her companion just asked again. "After all…it was eight years ago when we really knew each other, when we said what were supposed to be our last goodbyes… Why do you still even bother worrying about it?"

"Just because it was eight years ago when we were really close, doesn't mean we don't still care about you now!" The girl insisted fervently, leaning over him. "I mean…you'd be upset if something happened to one of us…wouldn't you? We feel the same way!"

Cooro's gaze sudden snapped back to hers, widened. "Of…of course I'd be upset! I'd be horrified! But that's…" His voice trailed off for a moment as he turned away again, his eyes falling downcast once more. "But that's different… You're not like me… You've all become so strong…you're all wonderful! But me…" A tear dribbled down his cheek, dampening the collar of his shirt. "I'm just a broken, worthless piece of trash! People can't always hold on to things forever…even things that might once have been important to them… Instead of hording trash, once something breaks or looses its purpose…it's best to just throw it away…"

Nana did nothing for a moment except stare down at him in horror, absolutely stunned as she realized what he was trying to say. "Cooro! Stop it! You're not a piece of trash! You aren't worthless! You're a person, like everyone else! Don't devalue your life like that! I still don't know what happened to you to make you think this way…but it's not true! You have every right to live and enjoy your life, just like anybody else does!"

Cooro didn't answer right away, feeling a few more tears fall from his eyes.

_But, Nana…you don't know what I've done… And you don't know how selfish I'm being to want to be with you at all… I'm putting all of you in danger… I put everyone around me in danger…just by being there. By being alive…_

The dark-haired boy just shook his head. "I'm sorry, Nana… If you'd turned me away that night on the orchards, if Husky really had just slit my throat, if you hadn't come back for me that morning at the caverns…you really would all be better off. Everyone would be… You'd all be better off if I was just gone! If I'd just die!" He suddenly cried out, unable to take the feelings of guilt gnawing away at him any longer.

Cooro suddenly felt a hand that didn't belong to him press against his lips, shutting him up as he glanced up in surprise at a teary-eyed Nana. "Stop it! Stop it, Cooro! Just _stop_! Don't say things like that!" The girl paused, a deep sadness and fear in her voice as she continued. "…Why do you hate yourself so much? I know something awful must have happened…but you can talk to us about it, or we can get you help! Don't speak about yourself like that! Whether you believe it or not, you really do mean a lot to us! Don't ever say such horrible things! You're scaring me…"

The boy suddenly felt a few tears that weren't his own drop against his face as he gazed back up at Nana, their eyes meeting for a single, silent moment.

"H…hey, Nana…don't cry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you sad…" Cooro reached up gently, dismissing the water gathering under his companion's eyes with his fingertips. He didn't like seeing anyone cry for him…

The young woman took over herself, using the back of her hands to brush away the dampness on her face as she spoke. "How am not supposed to be sad when I hear you say things like that? The way you're talking…you're not just going to fade away on us, are you? Don't do that to yourself! Don't do that to us!"

Cooro didn't say anything for a moment, a few fresh, salty drops appearing on his face as well as he held her gaze. "If you're sick, we'll help you fight it! If you need help, we'll get you help, okay? We'll make you well again! Just please…try not to think like that… Don't just give up! It doesn't matter what happened to you… It doesn't matter what happened three years ago… We'll always still care about you." This time Nana reached forward, delicately wiping away his tears with her fingers as well.

"…Th…thank you, Nana…" The young man sputtered, the words she was speaking both warming his heart and making it ache. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry for making you worry! But it's all right, okay?" He tried to force a reassuring smile. "…I don't want to die." That was true. He wanted nothing more than to live a normal life… He knew, though, that what his old friend was saying wouldn't hold true if he really told her everything…

Nana passed him a slightly relieved look as he finished speaking, their eyes remaining locked on each other's for a few seconds longer.

"Hey, you two! What's going on? You're being left behind!"

Both of their gazes suddenly jerked back as a voice bellowed from further up the path, a man prompting them forward. They were way in the back behind the group now – even the stragglers who'd been trailing slowly along had passed the two with wide eyes, not having disturbed them.

"O…oh, right… Sorry! We're coming!" Nana suddenly shouted back, passing Cooro just one last concerned look before grabbing the handle bars of his wheel chair again and quickly running to catch up.

* * *

It was still light out when the large group of +anima started making its way back from the beach village, the slight tint of orange in the sky the only indication that sunset was nearing. The warm colors of the clouds reflected clearly in the smooth ocean below, turning its surface into what looked like a pool of liquid fire.

Cooro happily licked at the few persistent traces of caramel clinging to his fingertips, Nana pushing him along slowly as they kept up towards the back of the large gathering.

Neither of them had brought up their earlier conversation, and the tense, dark mood of that morning had mostly disappeared once more.

Of the traveling group, most of the +anima were returning with bags of supplies draped around their shoulders. The only exceptions were the two of them – Nana and Cooro had come back almost completely empty handed, with nothing except for a few seashells in their pockets.

Still in shock about what Cooro had said earlier, Nana had decided that it would be better for her and her companion to simply enjoy their time away from that cold, stone building as much as possible, instead of getting in line and waiting for supplies like the others had.

Using a bit of pocket change, they'd snuck away from the rest of the gathering and towards a bakery, where they'd picked up a few choice sweets – caramel apples, honeyed buns, strawberry-jelly cookies, and peppermint candy – before heading down to the beach for their feast. Despite the slight autumn breeze that lingered in the air, they'd ended up taking off their shoes and wading along the crisp, clear ocean shore as well, in search of the seashells that were meant to brighten up their dank rooms back at the fortress. Even Cooro had gotten a chance to walk along the waterline, having leaned up against Nana and hobbled precariously along for a few minutes, enjoying the sensation of his feet pressing against the sand and the water surrounding his toes until nearly taking a face-first tumble had forced him to sit back down.

The beachside village had been quite beautiful, with its brick cottages and cobblestone bridges covering the creeks that flowed through the town on their way to the ocean. The scenery was certainly a change from the enclosing hallways of the old war fortress as well, and being in such a place, even for a short while, had lifted Nana's spirits.

She looked down at Cooro as she walked, getting another smile out of him as she caught him with a sticky finger in his mouth.

It was just like Dr. Gabriel had suspected – Cooro really did feel like that… She bit her lip, debating whether or not she was going to say anything about this to Husky and Senri. It really had scared her...

The time they'd spent at the village did seem to have snapped her old friend out of the way he'd been talking before too, though, at least for the time being. She was glad.

But now, just as they crested the highest point of the path and started a slight descent, the entrance to their hollow, stone destination appeared. The sight sapped some of the light from Cooro's face, the boy staying silent for a moment as he brought the finger back down from his face.

"I guess we're almost there, now, huh?" He observed solemnly, clearly dreading the thought of going back. The hint of a smile reappeared again, though, as he looked back up at Nana. "Thanks again for asking me to come…"

"Uh-huh." Nana chimed brightly, trying not to let him sink back into the mood he was in before. "That was really fun, actually! I'm glad we went."

Cooro just nodded, regretful eyes falling again on the fortress as it slowly but steadily grew closer. He wished that everything could just stay like that forever…without having to think about anything except for the like of pastries, candies, and beaches. But he knew that was impossible. Even if he didn't go back to the fortress, _she'd_ come. She'd leave and find him. Catherine wouldn't let him get away that easily…

"Hey, don't look so sad!" Nana prompted, already catching a change in her companion's demeanor again. "Maybe we can go together next time a group goes out like this, too – maybe all four of us could go! For now, though, I'm sure Husky and Senri will have dinner waiting for us when we get back…and, if you're feeling up to it, maybe we can find a chessboard and I could that match with you that I promised a while ago."

Cooro forced another grin, his gaze raising up to hers once more – he knew she'd been putting in extra effort to be kind to him since their conversation that morning. He kind of regretted saying some of the things he had, now. "…Sounds good, Nana…"

The girl returned the smile, about to verbally agree, when she realized that the travelers padding along around her had suddenly come to a halt. She did the same, both her and Cooro blinking in confusion as they followed the stares of their companions. They instantly caught sight of what everyone else was looking at.

A huge, wood and steel boat had appeared on the visible portion of the sea, directly across from them. It seemed to have stopped moving, just floating there – its presence oddly ominous.

"What's that?" A voice whispered, one of the many muffled wonderings among the hushed crowd. "It looks like a government war vessel… Judging from the build of it, it's probably from Astar…" Someone else answered, their tone nervous.

"Everyone, quick!" A loud voice shouted, its volume carrying the words over the whole group. It was probably one of the people leading the crowd. "We're in the range of sight of that boat from here. If you have it out, put your +anima away, and please hurry along! We can't be sure of why that vessel is here, but if it's come to assault the fortress, we're in danger! We created this route, it's not used for anything else – we already look suspicious…and if that thing decides to fire at us…we have nowhere to run! We need to get off these cliffs!"

Nana tensed, suddenly feeling her heartbeat jump. A bad feeling welled in the pit of her stomach as she exchanged a nervous glance with Cooro, who looked equally alarmed. She quickly surged forward along with the rest of the crowd, the large group moving just fast enough to make hast without making itself even more suspicious.

"The cannons!" A terrified gasp suddenly sounded amongst the gathering, yanking everyone's attention back to the war boat. The cannons that reached out of the haul were moving…aiming right towards them!

A terrified curse came from the leader. "They're going to attack! Everyone, run, _now_!"

The assault was imminent – the gathering of +anima all at once rushed forward in a panic, letting out a few shrieks as terror ripped through them. Nana frantically quickened her pace as well, darting at full speed as Cooro clung tensely to the chair.

There was nothing the large group could do to avoid the pending attack.

A huge bang sounded from the direction of the ocean, debris suddenly crashing down from the cliff wall above in an explosion of shards and smoke.

Horrible screams erupted from the front of the crowd, many cut short as rock fell from the mountainside with terrifying, deadly force. Another cannon sounded before anyone even realized what'd just happened, causing another landslide as blood started to mix with the dust and misplaced stone.

Those who were still standing continued surging blindly forward in a frenzy of shock and horror, racing desperately for the field below the cliffs. Nana kept running without even pausing to think, dust burning her eyes as screams wailed up from all around her.

A third attack fired, and this time, her and Cooro weren't so lucky. A sharp, forceful rush of air hit Nana in the chest as the cannon shot directly in front of them, falling boulders just missing the two as the debris plummeted to the ground. They were both blown backwards viciously by the aftershock, Cooro tossed from his wheel chair and landing roughly on his side with a dull thud as Nana was thrown completely onto her back near the cliff's edge.

Neither of the shocked +anima had time to even get up before a fourth shot was unleashed, aimed lower than the previous attacks as it blasted the mountainside just below them instead of the wall above.

More horrid shrieks erupted as much of the path suddenly crumbled away into the canyon, taking more travelers into the lethal stream of rocks.

Cooro screamed as he felt the attack hit, the very ground beneath him trembling and threatening to give way. As the dust cleared, though, it was only his legs that dangled over the edge, causing the boy to whip frantically around as he realized he was still on solid stone. Nana hadn't been as fortunate, her companion turning just in time to see her fingers disappear over the crumbling edge as she let out a terrified cry.

"Nana!" He shrieked in horror, reaching down a hand as far as he could.

"Cooro!" She called back, immediately whipping out her bat wings as she tried to catch the air. The main tear in her left wing had mostly healed, but it still moved awkwardly, making the girl flutter clumsily as she frantically attempted to stop her fall. She desperately struggled to ascended, reaching for her companion's hand as the boy outstretched his trembling arm towards her.

Sharp shards of debris smacked against Cooro's face from where he lay near the edge, making him wince as the cannons continued firing. Cries kept sounding from every direction, boulders still crashing down all around him. He screamed again as one large stone smashed into the ground just inches from his body, bouncing off the edge and continuing to fall straight down.

It was Nana's turn to cry out in pain as the same rock connected with her almost directly, the girl not managing to move her already injured left wing out of the way. She spiraled downwards with a helpless, horrified wail, freefalling as she struggled in vain to catch herself.

"_Nana_!" Cooro screamed out again as he watched his companion fall along the deadly stream of rocks towards the canyon.

Without even thinking, he threw himself from the cliff, wind smacking against his face as he plummeted down.

Something all at once ripped through him, a warm pressure suddenly bursting from his shoulders as the boy let out a slight gasp, no longer used to the feeling. A rush of air shot past him from behind, carrying a few black feathers that fluttered in front of his face.

Cooro flapped his wings, somewhat surprised when he realized he was still falling. He struggled to steady himself almost as much as Nana had, flying not feeling natural to him like it always had before. He desperately tried not the think about what he'd just done, but he could tell, from the huge, roused breeze that smacked against him from behind with each movement, that his wings had increased in size since he'd last used them at the age of sixteen, even though the rest of his body had been pretty much through growing, making them proportionately much bigger and more awkward than before.

He finally managed to catch a clumsy hold on the wind, switching from a freefall into a more controlled dive as he raced downwards, towards Nana.

Cooro snatched the girl's hand out of the air, yanking his screaming companion out of her fall.

Nana suddenly opened her tightly shut gaze, looking up in surprise as she felt herself stop plummeting. Her eyes immediately stretched wide, mixed with both amazement and shock. "C…Cooro!" She sputtered, gripping her old friend's feathered arms so tightly that the boy could feel her fingernails cut into his skin.

Cooro said nothing, sweat dripping down his face as he gave his powerful wings another beat. They were shaking, along with the rest of his frail form, as he struggled to hold both of their weights. Try as he might, the two of them were still slowly going down instead of up. He panted painfully for breath, flapping desperately as he frantically tried to ascend. Rocks continued to fall towards the canyon from every side, the brutal attack still going on.

"Watch out!" Nana suddenly screamed, pointing above as a stone fell right towards them. With a startled gasp, Cooro just barely managed to shuffle out of the way, still moving slightly downward as he struggled to dodge a second piece of debris.

It was useless. He wasn't strong enough to get both himself and Nana up and out of the way of the rockslide. All he could do was keep their decent under control as they headed down towards the bottom of the canyon, the black-winged young man desperately searching for a way to avoid the deadly debris once they got there. A dark spot in the ground suddenly caught his eye – it was a hole in the ground, most likely leading to a space below the canyon floor.

Cooro suddenly picked up speed, quickly diving for it as another blast from the cannon resounded through the cliffs.

The boy clumsily pulled his wings in closer as he reached the hole, the narrow entrance barely big enough for him and Nana to fit through. He flared the dark shapes behind him again just as the space below opened up, slowing their landing and pulling them both into a corner.

Cooro instinctively shielded their faces with his huge wings as the whole cave trembled, the roof pounding and threatening to cave in as boulders and debris pounded on top of it, cannon blasts continuing as a few more screams trailed off from above.

They both kept their eyes closed until there was nothing left but silence, Nana suddenly opening her teary gaze as they both leaned against the wall. She was too shaken to bring herself to use the echolocation her +anima provided, her eyes seeing nothing but darkness. "…Cooro?" The young woman muttered nervously, a sob in her voice. She could feel her companion's trembling shape beside hers, her hands still gripping him tightly.

Nana got no answer, but that didn't stop her fingers from clinging to him even tighter. "…Oh Cooro… All those people!" She wailed, grief and horror starting to form even through her shock. "…You saved me! You saved my life! I would've been one of them…" Tears fell from her eyes, the girl unable to think about anything else as her voice completely broke. "…Thank you!"

She stood there, just crying, for a few moments longer, until she felt Cooro's weak, oddly silent form sway unsteadily beside hers, his breath coming unevenly. "Cooro…?"

Still no answer. Suddenly feeling nervous, Nana reached down, fumbling in the dark for the small bag that was still tied around her waist. Feeling around with her fingers, she managed to pull out a torch and a match. A pale, orange light illuminated the underground cave as the girl got the emergency lantern lit.

She turned back to her hushed companion, finally able to see him. Cooro was supporting himself against the back wall, his whole figure shaking and all of his weight on his left leg. His wings were like huge, dark shadows behind him, hanging awkwardly from his shoulders. She just stared at them for a moment as they trembled along with the rest of his body, not sure what to think. The boy didn't even notice. He only gazed straight ahead, his pale expression shocked and blank.

Nana took a startled step back as Cooro suddenly fell to his knees, a few black feathers fluttering astray as his wings followed clumsily.

"Hey…are you okay?" She asked gently, coming up next to him again and softly giving his right arm a prod when he still failed to give any response.

"…I…" He sputtered, tears all at once welling under his eyes and dribbling down his face. His stare never moved, his eyes still distant and wide. I… My… My wings…" The crow +anima moved his hands back to his shoulders once again, this time feeling the base of his wings against his fingers. He shook his head, as if still not quite believing what he'd just done.

"You… used your +anima…" Nana finally observed bluntly, having been hesitating to bring it up. After everything that'd happened, the girl almost couldn't believe it herself, and she was left unsure of whether to feel indignant or grateful. From where she stood, she couldn't see anything wrong with it. Nothing at all. She still didn't understand he'd tried so desperately to avoid using it. But on the other hand…he seemed too upset now to have been simply lying all along, after all. …And he'd just used his wings to save _her_ – something he hadn't even done for himself. Whether she knew why or not, from his point of view, it seemed to be quite a sacrifice.

Cooro finally turned to gaze at Nana, fresh water falling down his cheeks as the full gravity of what he'd just done started to sink in. The stare startled her – the girl still not expecting the increasing look of absolute horror and fear in his eyes.

He could already feel a terrifyingly familiar haze forming in his mind, making his veins run cold as a chill of dread ran its way done his spine.

_What have I done? What…have I…?_

A terrible scream all at once ripped through Cooro's mouth, making Nana yelp in surprise as it echoed eerily through the large, hollow cave in a mixture of rage and agony. He broke down in sobs as the wail continued to reflect along the walls, his dark hair falling completely over his face as he bent over the cold ground. His quavering voice slowly turned to more of a pathetic whimper, the boy rasping for breath as his tears splashed against the stone below him.

Nana just stared wide-eyed, her heart still beating fast. She just watched for a moment, almost afraid to approach him. It was only when his shocked, agonized sobs exhausted into a more of a normal crying that she finally stepped forward, her feet padding towards her companion cautiously as she stood over him.

Still with absolutely no idea of just what so horrifyingly terrible, Nana forced a reassuring smile across her face, kneeling down next to her weeping, trembling companion. She decided to avoid any questions for the time being – now was certainly not the time, they could come later, after he calmed down. After all…she would've been killed if it hadn't been for him. He'd saved her… But now he was suffering…

The young woman was silent for a few seconds longer, before gingerly reaching out a hand for one of her old friend's wings. She instantly drew back, the boy taking in a slight gasp and jerking violently away at the touch. It was a few seconds later that he finally stopped cowering and straightened again, turning those terrified eyes of his back towards her. Nana carefully moved her palm forward for a second attempt, this time managing to run a few fingers delicately along his right wing as it shook anxiously.

"Your wings sure are beautiful, Cooro…" Nana commented, as if nothing was wrong. "They've gotten bigger – they're huge now! …I wish mine were that pretty, though."

To her relief, a slight hint of a smile appeared on her companion's lips in spite of himself. The reddish tint of a small blush lighting up his otherwise pale, horrified face.

"Are you all right?" She repeated, trying again. "You didn't get too hurt, did you?"

Still no answer. She frowned in dismay. "…Cooro?"

The boy just blinked, before a hint a reality finally appeared in his eyes. "N…no, I'm… I'm okay…" He gave his head a few dismissive shakes, all at once trying to get his mind back under control. "What… What about you? How's your left wing?" His voice quavered unsteadily, betraying his anxiety even though he was obviously trying to pull himself together.

"Well…I don't think the tear reopened again…but it really hurts now… I don't think I can fly." Nana answered in a purposely casual tone, looking it over as she gave it a few painful test flaps. "…Thanks again…for saving me…" She passed her companion a warm grin. The boy managed to return it, genuinely relieved that she was all right.

Another silence followed. Now that he seemed to have calmed down at least enough to talk to, the question was…what were they going to do?

The hole they'd entered through had been completely sealed by the falling debris, and judging from what Nana could see with the lantern and her +anima, they were in what appeared to be some kind of old mine… Maybe it was related to the shaft the miners from the caravan had been heading too…maybe they could find another way out if they traveled further in?

Movement caught Nana's eye as Cooro suddenly shuffled in place, the girl able to tell from the way he brought his wings straight behind his back that it'd finally occurred to him to put them away again as he came back to his senses.

"Hey, stop! Leave your wings out for now!" Nana suddenly ordered, startling him as he gazed back at her wide-eyed. "W…what?"

"We have to get out of here!" She prompted urgently. "It's dangerous to stay where we are – the roof could still collapse from the weight! …And I don't think anyone's going to come looking for us, either… They probably think we're dead… We have to find a way back on our own… And since you can't walk, that means you're flying."

"But –" Cooro sputtered, clearly taken aback. "Come on!" Nana insisted, not even giving him a chance to finish. She had a feeling that if she let him put his wings away, she'd have a heck of a time getting him to use them a second time. "The wheel chair's gone, and I couldn't carry you even if I wanted to! What else do you expect me to do? Drag you along by your hair?"

Her companion said nothing, his eyes falling downcast as the ever-present fear in them blazed more anxiously than ever. The girl let out a quiet sigh.

"Cooro… I'm not even going to ask why it is that you don't want to use your +anima…or what's wrong…but it honestly looks fine to me. All we have to do is get out of here, all right?" She reached out a hand to help him partway up. "After all…I'm sure Husky and Senri will be worried when they hear about this…"

The winged young man bit his bottom lip, stealing a few moments of thought before taking her outstretched palm. "Okay…"

Thank goodness that _she_ wasn't nearby. He realized he wouldn't feel the tell-tale burning in his shoulders anymore, but judging from the fact that the haze running through his mind was still controllable, he knew that Catherine was still a ways away.

He'd failed, he'd broken the promise he'd made to himself that horrible day – he'd just taken the first step to starting everything all over… The dreadful, misty haze threatening to overtake his consciousness, and the terrible desires and longings that already whispered at his senses… Everything was still mild for now…but there was no doubt this would affect him…

Though… Maybe…he could get away with it this once… Maybe it'd all go away again. He'd already just broken the three year streak he had going, anyway…perhaps using his wings for just a little bit longer wouldn't really make a difference in the long run now…so long as it was only this time.

Nana smiled, helping her companion back up as he leaned unsteadily against the wall.

Cooro gave his wings a brief stretch, trying to get them to limber up. He had to admit it felt good – like finally releasing an uncomfortable limb that'd been scrunched for far too long.

Following a few more moments of letting the large, powerful black shapes reach to their peak, he quickly beat his wings, loose feathers scattering around the room as he attempted to get his awkward form airborne from a standstill. After a bit of clumsy, determined struggling, his feet finally left the ground.

Nana just passed him another grin, catching the brief, satisfied smirk that came over his face before he quickly suppressed it. "All right…let's get out of here!"

* * *

Husky and Senri sat in their usual places at the small dinning table. An untouched plate of food was set in front of each of them, and another two rested unclaimed on the counter, all four meals slowly starting to get cold.

The former guard shuffled restlessly. "What's taking Nana and Cooro so long? Maybe we should start without them. Cooro will probably just go back to his room, anyway…"

Senri just shrugged.

"…It is kind of strange, though…" Husky suddenly continued, a hint of unease in his voice. "It's almost dark outside, but the group sent for supplies was supposed to be back well before sunset…"

The sound of a huge blast suddenly disrupted his chain of thought, both his and Senri's eyes widening as a wave of vibration all through the stone building followed. It came again a second time, the two shooting up from their chairs in a mixture of shock and alarm.

"What the heck is that?" Husky spat as a third boom resounded, throwing him slightly off balance as the whole room gave a quick shake.

He and Senri both lurched through the door, running through the halls towards the direction of the main part of the building in hopes of finding out just what was going on.

The large, frontal part of the fortress was in complete chaos, several people pushing passed the two of them as they frantically hurried either too or from the area.

"What is it? What's going on?" The silver-haired boy demanded urgently as another frightened +anima bumped right into him.

"We're under attack!" The man shouted, his gaze stretched wide in fear. "It's the guards! Guards have come from Astar by sea – they're attacking with cannons!"

Husky cursed under his breath. Cannons. He should've known. He should've recognized the deadly blast echoing through the hallways and making the fortress shake.

He suddenly took off, bursting through the balcony doors and staring at the hostile ship outside. Yes, it was definitely from Astar. He'd seen that very ship before – one of the newest government war models. The former guard subconsciously balled his hands into fists, watching the vessel with a sharp, narrowed glare.

Another boom sounded, this time coming from somewhere directly below him. The sound arched violently, heading away from the fortress instead of towards it.

"The fortress…" He observed in surprise as Senri hurried up next to him. "The cannons still work?"

"Indeed!" A new voice answered, an official that the two had seen a couple of times before approaching. "It's one of the reasons that this made such an ideal location – our cannons can fire both toward the sea and land! …But you two shouldn't be out here, it dangerous. Get back inside right away! Don't worry about this – Kazana and a few others are manning the cannons from down below, they'll take care of 'em!"

"…Cooro...Nana…" Senri muttered quietly, all at once sending a shiver of alarm through Husky's whole body.

"Wait! The group that went out for supplies…where are they? Are they waiting to return until this is over?" The boy asked breathlessly, his heart pounding in his chest.

The official's face suddenly darkened, Husky's stomach lurching as he noticed his gaze turn away. The man solemnly shook his head. "No… They were on their way back when they crossed paths with the vessel, and were attacked on sight… The group sent off earlier was almost completely wiped out."

Husky felt something inside him go numb, his mind not quite registering what he'd just heard. …Wiped out? He stumbled back a few steps, his mouth agape in horror and disbelief. "No… No! That can't be true!"

"It's true! It's just awful!" A female voice suddenly wailed, a teary cheeked woman coming up from behind them. "There are only a few survivors out of all of those that left – there was nothing they could do to escape! What horrible, wretched people those humans are! And they think _we're_ the beasts!"

"Where are the survivors now?" Husky demanded frantically, feeling his whole face flush as his limbs started to shake. "They're being taken to the doctors for treatment…just down the left hall."

Senri was already gone, rushing back inside and towards the medical ward without even stopping to think. Husky rushed after him as fast as his legs would go, the two of them racing down the fortress.

It was the sound of sobbing that brought them to a halt, five people in front of them as the hallway finally opened up into a room. Two of them were doctors, and the other three were all in tears, weeping as the aids guided them to their beds.

The former guard said nothing for a moment, just staring at the three dusty, bloodstained people that continued forward blankly as if in a trance, dampness on their faces and their bodies trembling. "Are these…the only survivors…?" He wondered aloud, his heart all at once sinking somewhere cold and dark. "It…it can't be… It _can't_ be! Where's everyone else? Where are the others?" His voice suddenly rose to almost a shoat, making the nervous survivors cower.

"They're gone!" One of the men wailed, his voice full of shock and grief. "They're gone, all of them!" "…We're the only survivors…" Another man, slightly calmer, answered with sad eyes. "The mountainside completely crumbled away, with rocks falling from both above and below us… It was a deathtrap…everyone was swallowed up… They were crushed…"

"No!" Husky spat defiantly, leaning forward with trembling hands. "That's not true… It can't be! Nana and Cooro… Where are Nana and Cooro?"

"…Who?" The man asked solemnly.

The silver-haired young man forced himself to breath, trying to calm himself enough to describe his companions to the survivors. "A girl about my age, wearing a short, blue dress with light-brown hair…and a dark-haired, frail-looking boy in a wheel chair…"

"Oh… I know who you're talking about… I noticed a couple of people like that earlier…" The third survivor, a woman, answered dryly.

Both Husky's and Senri's eyes widened, their heartbeats quickening nervously. "You did?" The former guard sputtered, his heart still pounding. "W…what happened to them? …Where are they?"

The woman looked down sadly. "…I'm afraid I don't know for sure… But I happened to catch sight of them once, I think…near the edge of the cliff as it was crumbling from below… I heard them crying out for each other…but I…I think they were taken over the drop in the chaos…" She paused, a few fresh tears dribbling down her face as she recalled the scene. "I…I'm sorry… I don't think they made it…"

There was a silence, Husky just staring blankly ahead as if he hadn't understood what he'd just been told. "No…" His voice quavered. "No! That's not true! It…it can't be… You're wrong… You're _wrong_!" He shouted, practically screaming at the woman as the survivors backed away from him.

"Sir… I'm sorry, but we have officials circling the area – these are the only people we've found…" A female doctor explained solemnly but sternly. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

The silver-haired boy just stood there for a moment, his eyes somewhere distant as shock held his feet to the ground. It was Senri who first moved, snatching his companion's arm and frantically dragging him away down a hall that was different than the one they'd come from.

"Wait – stop!" The doctor called. "That's the way out! It's dangerous – don't go out there!"

Neither of them so much as looked back, their panic quickly carrying them away towards the small, mountainside path where Nana and Cooro had departed earlier that morning.

* * *

A young woman flew over the site of the tragedy, her black hair falling over her eyes as she landed on one of the boulders, folding her dark wings behind her as she stood in the cold evening wind.

That boy had been with the supply group during the attack… She'd felt him leave the area with them, but hadn't thought too much of it…realizing what he was doing and figuring he'd simply return later. But…

Catherine could have cursed. She hadn't followed him…deciding to give that frail body of his a break. He'd finally been so close to the point of giving in, though…he wouldn't have been able to take the burning within him much longer…only for her to lose him now.

He was still alive, though… She could still feel him. Still the same.

The woman closed her eyes, trying to focus in on her target. He was there…somewhere deep beneath the canyon. And…

Her eyes suddenly burst open as she all at once noticed something, making her blink a few times in surprise before a slight smile came across her lips.

He'd reawakened.

Even without her presence, he'd finally ended up breaking his own stubborn promise to himself. Finally…after three years…

It was ironic, though. The one time she wasn't there, after having hung around for weeks. And under all that debris, not even she could find where he'd gotten himself. She was still stuck waiting.

"Don't you dare die under there… I won't lose you this time…especially not now… I'll be waiting." Catherine spoke the words aloud, even knowing that the boy was still too far away for her voice to reach his mind.

The sound of approaching footsteps hit her ears, causing her to glance down. It was those other two companions of his…the fish and the bear +anima. She didn't care to have anything to do with them. Catherine beat her huge, black wings again, taking back off into the still red and orange sky.

* * *

Husky and Senri came to a halt as the ruined mountain path appeared before their eyes, now nothing more than a pile of ruble and charred debris.

They just stared for a moment at the now unmoving river of stone that had supposedly swallowed up their friends, the acrid scent of blood clinging to the air and making them feel sick.

Senri all at once rushed forward, charging up the rocks as though his companions might be just standing there, waiting for him at the top.

Husky remained frozen, unable to move his gaze away from the cold, painfully silent remains of the trail that had consumed so many lives. It was like a graveyard… He didn't even want to think about what was buried under those rocks.

Were…Nana and Cooro really there, too?

He felt a single tear dribble down his right cheek, the first he'd shed.

Were they there? Their bodies lifeless and broken, mercilessly crushed beneath the ruble?

He took a few steps up the awkward, destroyed path himself. According to that woman he'd spoken with, it'd sounded like they'd been forced over the edge. He gazed distantly into the canyon, the entire bottom coated with deadly, packed debris.

Somehow, he couldn't picture that. He couldn't see them down there, as blooded, silent corpses. All he could see were the bright, innocent smiles of his childhood friends, their eyes staring warmly back at him.

It couldn't be… He thought about everything they'd been through as both children and young adults. About how hard they'd hoped, searched and fought for a future. It couldn't be that Nana and Cooro had gone through all of it in vain, only to have their lives ended just like that – extinguished like the flickering flame of a candle against the wind. He didn't believe it.

Husky turned back to Senri, seeing his only remaining companion frantically search the rubble. It was completely useless – the rocks continued on for almost the whole stretch of the trail, so deep they couldn't even tell where the bottom of the path had once been, but he still pushed the rocks away as if in a trance…fixated only on the two friends he'd once known as children. "…Nana… …Cooro…"

There was a desperation in his voice that Husky had never heard before, suddenly making him notice the painful, uncontrolled tears running down from the older man's agonized eyes. It was the first time he'd ever seen him cry.

A few out of place cheers and whoops sounded from the distance, in the direction of the fortress.

Husky looked over his shoulder, watching that accursed vessel retreat. His former captain was probably on that very ship. He fisted his palms so hard that his fingernails almost pierced his skin. He couldn't believe he'd really been a part of them only a few short weeks ago – a part of an organization that would do something so unfair and terrible.

They'd pay for this. They'd pay for taking all those innocent lives. They'd pay for taking Nana and Cooro away.

He longed to see some kind of hope. Anything.

The three survivors had all been bird +anima, they all had wings. Nana had been injured, he didn't know whether or not she would've been able to fly…but beyond that, he doubted she'd ever have left Cooro…

Husky kicked a pile of small stones in front of him as the tears started coming faster. Why? Why had he ever suggested the idea of any of them going along with that group. They hadn't been assigned to go…they would've all been safe… If only he hadn't…

He gave the rocks another defiant, furious smack. He'd wanted to find someway to help Cooro… But now…him and Nana were probably both…

No! It still didn't seem true. He still didn't believe it. They were alive. The four of them had ended up together once more after eight years, they'd find each other again.

"Nana! Cooro!" Husky suddenly screamed out, his voice echoing hollowly through the deathly trail.

He cried their names again, his throat stinging as he bellowed at the maximum volume his lungs would allow. Everything else remained as silent as ever, only the ocean breeze answering as the evening faded into night.

* * *

_That's the end for this chapter - please review and stay tuned!_


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Inhuman

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_On to the fourteenth chapter now! There's still a lot going on in this one. _

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: **Inhuman

* * *

All that lingered in the empty mineshaft was darkness, accompanied by the scent of moss and stale dampness in the rocks and soil.

Nana led the way, using her echolocation and the pale, orange light of the torch she was carrying to find the main path through the large cave. Cooro trailed behind, following the dim glow of the fire and his companion's dark silhouette.

It was completely silent, the only sounds hitting Nana's sensitive ears as she pressed forward being the echoing of her own footsteps and the continuous, but slightly clumsy, rhythm of Cooro's wings.

"Aghh!"

The young woman jerked around as a yelp sounded behind her, followed by the noise of frantically beating wings and a hard, dull thud. She took a few steps back, towards the way she'd come, and let out a sigh as she held the lantern up.

Cooro lay toppled over onto the ground, a few scattered feathers fluttering over his face and his wings spread out beneath him across the cold stone. The boy groaned, pushing himself back up into a sitting position.

"Are you all right?" Nana asked, holding out a hand and moving closer to help her companion back up. Luckily, she already knew the drop wasn't far enough for him to be seriously hurt – this was the fourth time he'd fallen.

Cooro seemed to have lost most of his natural flying ability – the coordinated movements required no longer coming without thought. Sometimes he'd end up only flapping one wing or beating them both out of sync, causing himself to stumble in midair. His wings had grown so much bigger, too – if he ever ended up lopsided or unbalanced in the air, the weight would drag him right down onto his back.

"Y…yeah… Fine…" The winged young man sputtered, frustration and a slight embarrassment tingeing his voice as he took the hand. Nana helped him stand with most of his weight on his left foot, moving him back over to one of the walls.

"Don't worry." She smiled. "I'm sure you'll get the hang of it again soon."

Cooro, however, just shook his head. "It doesn't matter… Once we get out of here, I'm never going to use my wings again, anyway…" He insisted dryly, his eyes set blankly on the ground. Nana just frowned.

So…he hadn't changed his mind. Now that he had once, with nothing wrong as far as she could tell, the girl had half expected her old friend to go back to using his +anima. It seemed kind of…sad, to her. Regardless of the fact that it no longer felt natural for him, something about seeing her childhood companion with his two dark wings trailing behind him just felt…right…as if that was the way it was supposed to be. She still couldn't understand what could possibly make him want to avoid it so desperately.

"Cooro…did something happen once?" Nana started, biting her bottom lip. "I know that people sometimes gave you a hard time about your +anima… But if that was what made you stop using it, you know you don't have to worry about anything like that anymore, right? No one at the fortress would care, and me and the others certainly don't feel that way…so…"

"Hmm?" The boy turned his gaze back to her, surprised. "N…no… It… It wasn't anything like that…" He answered quietly, realizing that his childhood friend was probably referring to how his black wings had sometimes gotten him feared, or even attacked, as a 'messenger of death'. His eyes drifted downcast again as he spoke, the crow +anima falling silent once more.

_That's right… It wasn't… It was something I did…_

"But…" Nana sputtered, not having any other ideas.

Cooro continued looking away, interrupting. "You said you wouldn't ask me about it, remember?"

The girl just sighed, not able to argue. She took a few steps back, giving him enough room to take off again. It was still his huge, dark wings that her eyes fell on as her companion stretched them out from his shoulders.

_They…look a lot like…_

Nana gave her head a violent, dismissive shake as the image of Niomi's black-winged killer came into her mind. They were still just slightly smaller…perhaps because, judging from what Meora had told her, the girl was a raven +anima while he was a crow, but something about the way Cooro's wings looked now invoked the thought of that horrible woman. She shook her head a second time. No. She didn't want to think about her!

She was brought back to reality as Cooro suddenly started flapping his wings in an attempt to get off the ground, picking up wind in her face. It only took a few seconds – the falls, if nothing else, at least having helped him get better at taking off from a standstill.

"Hey Nana…" He started as his feet left the ground. "I hate to ask…but when we get out of here, we can find another wheel chair or something, right?"

"Hopefully…" Nana answered uncertainly.

In the underground mine, it was impossible to know exactly how long they'd been traveling, or even if it was night or day, but she knew that they'd already been pressing on for hours. Yet, there was still no sign of a way out, and they were only getting farther and farther away from the fortress with every step – at first, they'd tried moving in its general direction, but the caves had dead ended shortly afterwards, and they'd been forced to turn around and proceed the other way. In reality, when they finally did find an exit, they'd probably still have a long ways of traveling left in order to get back to the others. It could even end up taking a couple of days. She sighed, hoping that Husky and Senri weren't too worried.

It probably would be a good idea to find another way to get Cooro around, though – it would likely be wise for the two of them to keep their +anima hidden again once they reached the surface. Perhaps they could find another carriage or something of that sort, she hoped…not wanting to walk the whole way. At first it'd been mostly her already injured left wing that'd stung, but after pressing forward for a while, she'd noticed a pain in her foot on the same side, making her limp slightly herself. It was bearable…but between her slow walking and Cooro's clumsy flying, they weren't getting anywhere fast.

Her companion didn't say anything, his gaze still on the ground as the two once again started making their way forward.

* * *

Husky padded listlessly through the halls of the fortress, heading back to the room he currently only shared with Senri.

He was alone. His one remaining companion hadn't even come back with him. Senri had remained silently on that hill, still pushing away the debris…even if it was all useless.

The two of them had hardly been able to sleep after finally coming back the night before, and as soon as dawn shed its light, they'd immediately returned to the site of yesterday's tragedy once more, not quite sure what it was they were hoping to find. There was no way Nana and Cooro could be at that same place and still be alive… If they _did_ find them there, it would probably only be a sight they'd later wish they hadn't seen. Husky shivered at the thought.

It would be better if they _weren't_ there…if his two companions had somehow ended up escaping to somewhere else during the chaos. How could that be, though? And then…why wouldn't they have come back?

The boy quickly forced those thoughts away, trying to cling to any bit of hope he could muster.

He came to a stop, though, when he reached the door to their room and realized that two of the information tags by the entrance had already been removed. Husky felt an abrupt rush of defiant anger, all at once wanting to rush forward and scream at whatever official had taken away Nana's and Cooro's information to put it back. But…what good would that really do?

Somehow, he suddenly couldn't bring himself to go in, and sit by himself in the room he was used to sharing with three others…where he knew two old, unclaimed plates of food still sat untouched at the table, and half of the four sleeping spaces remained empty.

He stayed right there in the hallway, collapsing with his back against the door and his head held against his knees as he sat alone, along the chilled, silent wall.

* * *

Nana just kept walking forward as if in a trance, all of the dank, underground scenery never seeming to change no matter how far they pressed on.

They had to nearing some sort of exit soon…right? How big could an old mine possibly be?

The two of them had kept moving for what she guessed was another couple of hours. Her whole body was starting to ache, and the flickering flame of the lantern had begun to weaken. She wanted out of there now!

Something suddenly brushed against her shoe, making the girl let out a scream as a small, dark shape ran by. Cooro shrieked too, not knowing what'd just happened. It was a moment later that Nana realized it'd just been a rat, a slight embarrassed blush coming to her cheeks as she turned back to her companion, his eyes startled and wide. "It…it's nothing…" She stuttered, her heart still pounding in her chest. "A rat just ran by my foot… I guess that means we must be getting closer to an exit, though, huh? Since something lives down here…"

The boy just stared at her for a moment longer before giving a slight nod, his face immediately falling downcast again as they kept moving.

It was strange… Why did she feel so jumpy? For whatever reason, she'd started feeling really uncomfortable over the last hour or so.

Even as she walked then, she could feel tingles of alarm run down the back of her neck, a chill sometimes going all the way down her spine. It felt like there was something there, behind her. Some danger that could reach out and strike at any moment.

But…there was nothing. Even when she stole an occasional nervous glance back, the only living thing she could see was Cooro – there wasn't anything or anyone else. There was nothing to be afraid of. Why, then, did she feel so uneasy? She picked up her pace slightly, hearing her companion start flapping his wings faster in order to keep up. Maybe the dark, musty cave was just beginning to get to her…

At least their traveling had been going smoothly. Cooro had managed not to fall anymore, either, making their trip forward a little quicker. He'd been staying unusually quiet, though…

Nana couldn't help glancing behind again, focusing on him. Her companion was still staring at the ground, the girl noticing for the first time that his frail form was trembling terribly, his chest heaving as his breath came in heavy rasps.

"…Cooro?" She slowed back down, feeling a slight twinge of alarm. "…Are you okay? Why don't we rest for a little while?"

"No!" The boy practically shouted, making Nana flinch in surprise at the harsh response. "We can't! We can't stop! We have to get out of here now!"

The young woman just blinked a couple of times, startled at the urgency in his voice. "I really want out of here, too! But I think we could both use some time to sit down, just for a few minutes…"

"No!" Cooro insisted loudly. "I can't take this much longer! I have to get out of here! I have to get out of here now! I have to put my wings away!"

Nana gave him a bewildered, incomprehensive stare, as confused as ever as to what was bothering her companion. An unexpected shiver suddenly ran through her whole body, flaring up her sense of unease. She abruptly brushed it away, though. "But…why don't you just put your wings away while we rest, then?"

"If I do that, then it will only be worse when I bring them out a second time! I have to get this done all at once! I have to get out of here,_ now_!" With that, the boy all at once rushed forward with all the strength he had left to muster, quickly picking up speed as he dashed through the air. He flew right passed her, making Nana's light-brown hair dance in front of her eyes as he disappeared into the blackness of the path ahead.

"Hey! Cooro, wait!" Nana called frantically, shocked that he'd just take off like that. "You can't even see by yourself!"

She hurried to catch up, trying to meet his gaze with her own confused stare as she ran along next to him. The slight tinge of alarm came back when she suddenly realized she couldn't. He was looking straight down, shifting his face slightly away as she looked in his direction.

Cooro didn't dare meet her eyes, afraid of what would happen if he did.

At first, he had to admit, flying again had felt amazing. But now he remembered why he'd forbidden his +anima from himself. The haze in his thoughts was growing frighteningly strong now, threatening to overtake his mind and making him shiver with terrifying cravings and desires. It was just like before. It'd come back already, even though he'd only used his wings once. Just once. This time, though, he knew what it was. He knew what would happen.

He started flying even faster as a sudden sense panic overcame him, Nana's calls only resonating at the edge of his senses and not quite registering in his whirling, frantic mind as he completely left her behind without noticing. He didn't even know if putting his wings away would be enough, now, but all he knew was that he had to get out of there. He had to get somewhere where he didn't have to use them again, where he didn't even have to think about it! Maybe he could fight it then… Maybe he could hold out until it went away!

"Cooro! Cooro, stop!" Nana bellowed breathlessly, charging forward as fast as her aching feet would carry her.

The crow +anima still didn't hear her, panting for breath as the dark shapes behind him suddenly seemed to become heavier and heavier, threatening to give out on him with every forced, painful flap. He fought for breath, struggling to keep the movements going.

_No… I… I can't, not now! I have to get out of here – I can't just…_

His wings faltered and jerked weakly in midair, unable to hold the rest of his frail, exhausted body up any longer as he slowly sunk to the ground, fighting uselessly all the way to the cave floor.

The girl gasped in alarm as he landed with a thud, immediately rushing towards her companion. This was different from the way he'd been clumsily falling before. He'd just completely collapsed! "Cooro!" She screamed again, finally coming up next to him.

He lay on his side, his tired lungs struggling for air. His whole, weak figure was shaking, a slight whimper coming from his throat. A rush of apprehension spread through her. He looked sick again – almost worse than he had at the fortress. But with the two of them alone, underneath the collapsed mountain passage, what could she possibly do? What if…?

She was about to kneel down next to him when the dark-haired boy all at once let out a terrible scream, writhing violently on the ground beneath her.

Nana's heart practically jumped up into her throat, her eyes widening. "Cooro! What is it?" She demanded frantically. "What's wrong?"

She got no response, the boy jerking painfully again as he unsuccessfully tried to heave himself forward, collapsing again in exhaustion.

"Stop it! Just calm down!" She insisted. "You're pushing yourself too much!"

"No! I have to get out of here now!" Cooro yelled defiantly, fear and desperation painting his panicked tone as he attempted once more to push himself up. He fell back on his face, scraping his right cheek as his muscles buckled underneath him, refusing to hold his weight.

Nana could feel her heartbeat racing in her chest, realizing that her old friend had gone beyond the point of reason. What was wrong with him? Why did Cooro get like this?

"Come on…" She pleaded desperately, fighting to keep her own voice calm. "You're exhausted! We need to rest for a while…" She gently reached down, carefully helping to pull him up into a sitting position.

Cooro violently shoved a hand against her chest, pushing against her. He struggled, his legs kicking at the ground and his wings beating in her face as he frantically tried to pull away. "Don't touch me!" He screamed, his voice broken and hoarse as he practically fought himself out of her grasp.

Nana abruptly let go, shocked. Her companion fell back to the floor, the girl staring at him with wide, hurt eyes. Fingernail scratches stung at the base of her neck, and he'd left a few new, throbbing bruises on her already aching body. "C…Cooro…?"

She still never got an answer, the boy keeping his gaze tightly shut and turned away from her. He was wet with sweat, his limbs twitching and trembling as tears started to dampen his face.

Cooro wanted to open his mouth and speak to her, but couldn't get his tongue to work anymore, struggling frantically against the haze in his own mind. He wondered if he could even fight against it enough to put his wings away at all anymore, already able to feel himself losing control. An increasing, horrifying sense of absolute terror tore through him, a helpless cry ripping from his lips.

_I…I'm sorry… I can't… I… Nana… Please…please stay away! _

It was at that moment that a resounding roar split the stagnant air of the old mine, echoing through the passage along with Cooro's own wails.

The already shaken Nana's gaze was immediately torn back to the path that continued in front of her, the young woman taking in a gasp of shock and alarm.

Was that…a cougar? Her wide stare stretched in fear, a hard lump of apprehension hitting her in the stomach.

"Cooro!" She screamed, before suddenly thinking to lower her voice. "Cooro…I…I think it's a cougar! There's a cougar in here! Pull yourself together and quiet down!"

Once again, the boy gave no response, just shaking and writhing uncomfortably with his hands clasping his head and tears falling from underneath his closed eyes. The girl didn't know if he'd even heard her.

"Cooro… Come on, please…" Nana pleaded, her heart pounding. "We need to get away from here!" It was true that it was exhaustion he'd collapsed from to begin with, but he needed to snap out of whatever panic he was in long enough from them to avoid the predator she now knew they'd attracted.

Not knowing what else to do, she frantically reached down and snatched up her companion's hand, trying to pull him off the ground once more. She got another scrape up her arm as he violently yanked himself away again, still not seeming to even realize what was happening.

Nana let go of him completely as a second growl carried through the air from the opposite angle, freezing her limbs and fingers in place.

She slowly spun her shaky gaze around after a brief moment of hesitation, scared of what she'd see.

Close by, in the direction they'd come from, the silhouette of a large, feline predator had appeared, along with another lanky shadow blocking the path ahead. A third followed just seconds later, fading in from the darkness just to the right of the first, towards the edge of the wide, but mostly closed passage.

Mountain lions. More than one. There was a total of three, and they had the two +anima surrounded.

Nana couldn't even move for a moment, her hands shaking in terror as she just stared at the group of carnivores. She felt her whole body go cold with apprehension and disbelief, a frantic sense of helpless dread setting in.

Between three predators, a tight, closed in space, and a collapsed, hysterical companion…how could she possibly…?

She cursed herself for not realizing this was coming earlier – the whole chaos with Cooro had kept her from noticing them, even with her sensitive ears.

Each of the cougars was skinny and lanky, suggesting they were all the hungrier. If they lived in that area of the mine, there had to be an exit somewhere close by. That way they could either leave and hunt, or wait for prey to wander unknowingly in. All she had seen was the earlier rat, though – most likely, the lions hardly ever got lucky enough for such a large catch to simply show up in their home.

It didn't look like they wanted to share, though – for the moment, each predator seemed to be focusing its gaze on its rivals, spitting and hissing resounding through the caves as a feline argument broke out over which cat could claim the flesh of the two humans hunched vulnerably in the corner.

Nana tried to force her stiff, fearful body to move. At least that would buy them some time…maybe they could sneak passed the cougars and get away towards the exit…

But…what was she going to do about Cooro?

He still wouldn't respond to her or to what was going on just a few feet away, but she couldn't just leave him to get ripped apart and devoured by those filthy creatures!

Deciding to drag him along even if it meant a struggle and a few scratches, Nana was about to reach down and determinedly yank up her companion again when something all at once rushed towards her.

It was already too late. One of the cougars swiped a claw just in front of her chest, the girl just barely managing to fall back and dodge it, falling to the floor.

She instinctively let out a screech as she reached for the two knives at her belt in desperation, stunning the beast just long enough to get back up.

This time, the young woman managed to rack the right blade across the lion's side as the predator charged again, a brief splash of crimson spilling as it let out a yowl.

She spun just quickly enough to slash the same knife over the stomach of a second feline as it suddenly decided to seize the opportunity, stabbing it in the shoulder with her other blade as it fell away.

Unfortunately, none of the wounds were very deep. It was only seconds later when the first cougar was back for a third swipe, catching Nana before she could react. Its claws tore the skin of her right arm, the blow throwing her against the cavern wall as blood dribbled down her elbow.

The cat lunged towards her, raising one of its deadly paws for a single, fatal swipe to the neck as she screamed, covering her face with her left arm.

A sharp, narrow rush of air suddenly burst through the small cave, tearing straight for the lion as it split the flesh on its back, sending it falling away with a leaking, jagged wound.

Nana slowly opened her eyes as she heard the cougar yowl and land with a thud, not knowing what had just saved her.

A dark winged figure hovered in the air just above her, staring staunch and still as the cat struggled back to its feet.

Her gaze widened in shock as she realized just what she was looking at. "C…Cooro?"

Another of the wind blades blasted right passed her, making the girl wince as Cooro thrust out his palm. This time the attack connected straight on with its target, sending red liquid splattering across the narrow walls as the cougar cried out in pain. It never even got a chance to recover, the winged +anima immediately sending out a third assault of air. It cut right through the cat, hitting it sideways and severing its body at the center. It fell to the ground in two pieces, blood flying back and hitting Nana in the face.

The girl couldn't help but let out a scream, staring up at Cooro in shock with a hand to her mouth. What the hell was he doing? How was he even hurting them? "Cooro…? What…?" Nana sputtered again, hardly able to get her mouth to move.

Her companion paid no notice, instantly whirling around as the second predator suddenly charged him from behind.

Just as he'd seen Catherine do to the coyotes she'd saved him from, he released another of the strange attacks, gutting the cougar in the stomach and sending it landing with a lifeless thud as more red splashed up over the mine.

Cooro paused for a moment, just standing there and gazing down at the crimson staining his palms in satisfaction.

It felt _so_ good. But at the same time, absolutely horrible!

His mind was torn in two – the haze that was threatening his consciousness dancing in relief and bliss. It tingled all the way though is core, the thoughts and desires it carried starting to take over his movements and actions.

He resisted desperately, gasping for breath as the two patterns of consciousness fought for control of his thoughts and body. No! This wasn't him! He wouldn't give himself up!

"Cooro, watch out!"

Nana's voice suddenly cut through his senses, bringing the winged young man back to the situation raging around him.

The third cougar had all at once decided to strike, racing towards him at full speed.

Cooro managed to dive to the side as it leapt for his neck, agilely back-flipping in midair and coming to a halt high above the predator.

It was fire that burst from his palms as he stuck his hand forward. An unnatural, blue flame – ripping straight down and hitting the cat right in the back. There was an explosion of smoke, tinged with the sickening scent of burning flesh. The struggle was over.

Nana stared in absolute horror and shock, unable to believe her eyes as the fire completely devoured the predator, leaving nothing but an insignificant pile of ashes just seconds later.

Cooro himself landed with a clumsy stumble against the wall, his own eyes stretched wide as he gazed out at what he'd just done.

Suddenly, at least for the moment, he felt a slight relief from the haze that'd been fighting against him. He'd satisfied its craving while managing to not give in. But…

The horrible scent in the air. The stray, red-speckled feathers floating delicately in the stagnant space. The bloodstains on the cold, stone walls. The sticky, crimson liquid dribbling down his fingers and face, running in warm droplets down his neck. The salty tang it was leaving in his senses.

_He stood. He stood as the minutes ticked by for he didn't know how long, his horrified eyes open wide and his whole body trembling. He was the last living thing in that room, his broken, short breath and racing heartbeat the only rhythms still continuing. No one else breathed any longer, and every other heart had stopped beating. The only movement besides his own were those of the feathers he himself had dropped as they fluttered aimlessly through the room, stained in the same crimson that was running down his face and arms. _

_A fear that would never go away again crept into his eyes, seeping away deep inside of him somewhere where it would linger forever. _

_What had he done? What had just…?_

_He desperately tried to clear himself of the haze in his head, gazing down incomprehensibly at the knife in his hands as he fought to understand what'd just happened. What he'd just done. _

_The sound of wings that weren't his own suddenly echoed through the cramped, stone hall, the distant silhouette of an approaching, dark-haired woman reflected in the silver glint of his blade. _

_He hardly noticed, tears suddenly pouring from his eyes and mixing with the red splattered on his face. He couldn't stop them. He didn't know if he'd ever be able to again._

_An agonized scream all at once ripped from his throat. It tore through the hallway – a mixture of terror, rage, and disbelief. For the first time, the voice that left his mouth sounded strange to him, his own cry ringing hollow and unknown in his ears. _

Cooro fell back to his knees, his eyes distant as the ever-present fear in them blazed brighter than Nana thought she'd ever seen it before.

Tears streamed down his face as his frail form trembled and wavered, washing away some of the crimson that'd gathered on his cheeks.

Nana could hardly move. She just stared mouth agape, gazing up in disbelief at her childhood friend, unable to comprehend what she'd just seen. "…Cooro? What…what did you…?" She abruptly sat up straighter, pressing her shaking figure against the wall as a sudden fear of her own overcame her. "That wind…that fire… It…it's not… It isn't human! …What are you…? _What are you_?" She screamed, consumed by a terror she never would've expected to feel.

But…what was that? What was that? He'd completely _slaughtered_ those cougars, without even a single weapon! He'd controlled and sharpened the wind…he'd created fire from nothing… But no human could possibly… No human could do those things! And certainly not any +anima, either! Just what kind of secrets had Cooro been keeping?

The dark-haired boy's gaze never moved, still set blankly ahead, as if at something only he could see. "But… But…I…"

"What are you?" Nana repeated demandingly, her voice filled with fear. "Those cougars were bigger and stronger than people, but you killed them in seconds! You completely massacred them without so much as a knife! That's not human! You're a monster! You're some kind of demon! You can't be human! What are you?"

Cooro said nothing, Nana's hysterical words tearing emptily through his head as they played alongside those of another female voice that had always remained in his mind.

_You've become as stubborn and strange as all those humans you envy so much._

_It only hurts because you're fighting against yourself… Because you're clinging so tightly to this false, painful shred of humanity… You're the one causing yourself to suffer, not me. If you were to let go of that ruined shred, the pain would end forever…_

He broke down completely into sobs, struggling to find his voice. _No! That's not true! I am human! I'm not a monster! I'm not some sort of demon! I'm…I'm just… I'm just a normal person! _He wanted to argue, he wanted to scream the words out and let them fly assuredly and defiantly off his tongue. But that confidence wasn't there. Those words wouldn't come. In this end, his voice was nothing more than a defeated, shameful whisper. "…Maybe you're right, Nana… Maybe I am just a monster…"

Cooro let out another sad, anguished wail, tears clinging to his arms and dribbling down to his elbows as he struggled to cover and wipe his eyes.

Nana immediately felt guilty, her normal senses suddenly starting to return as she watched her old friend weep in front of her. She just sat there a moment longer, still not knowing quite what to make of what he'd just done.

Now that she thought about it…that girl…Catherine…had done some pretty strange things as well. She hadn't known what to think at the time, but, the first time she fought her in midair, the killer had blasted her away somehow after placing her palm on her chest, and at the fortress, she'd lost control of her own legs when she'd gone to face her. Was that a similarity between that woman and her childhood companion…could they both do things like that? Was he not the only one?

Cooro raised his gaze back to Nana, relieved that he could at least look at her now without that horrible haze flaring up inside him. He forced a bitter smile on his face. "Now do you understand, at least partly, why I don't like to use my +anima?"

Nana took in a surprised gasp, a moment passing before she realized what he was saying. _That_ was related to his +anima? But…how could that be? He was a crow +anima – it gave him wings, a few feathers, and the ability to fly – that was all! No +anima would ever give such frightening, unnatural abilities! Although…since his and Catherine's were both similar, that could explain the fact that they both seemed to have them…

The black-winged young man's eyes drifted downcast once more, his dark hair, wet with sweat and a few tinges of red, fell over his face as his tears hit the ground. "I don't want to be a monster!" He despaired, begging to no one in particular. "I don't want to be a demon! I just want to be human! I just…" His voice trailed off, the sobs taking over again.

Nana frowned, finally forcing herself up. She approached the shaking figure in front of her slowly, finding herself feeling fearful. If he'd just done that to three huge predators, she didn't even want to imagine what he could do to her! If he chose to, in just a split second, he could… She bit her bottom lip. No! This _was_ Cooro, wasn't it? That was all she really needed to know. He would never hurt her, would he?

She was suddenly aware of the fingernail scratches still stinging at the base of her neck. They paled in comparison to her other injuries, but… No… Regardless of how he could act, she knew he'd never do anything _that_ horrible to her. That wasn't Cooro! It never had been, and it wasn't now!

After all…looking at it now that she'd started calming down, it wasn't like he'd done anything evil… The brutality and unnaturalness of it had scared her, but in reality, they'd only been a few cougars – they would have killed and eaten _them_ if he hadn't stopped them first! He'd just saved her…again…

"Cooro…I…" Nana paused as she found herself a few feet away, standing beside her old friend's downcast figure. He continued staring at the ground, not even looking up at her. The girl tried to put a reassuring smile on her face, forcing her usual confidence back into her voice. "…Of course you're human! You're just Cooro – that's all! Nothing else matters! You're not a monster or anything like that!" She fell silent again, regret creeping into her eyes. "I'm… I'm sorry…I don't know what I was thinking… I was just a little…surprised… But they were only mountain lions…it's not like you really did anything awful! You…saved me again. I should actually be thanking you…"

"…I…" He finally raised his gaze to hers, showing that he'd heard the words, even though he looked as unconvinced as ever. He met her right in the eyes, almost making the young woman shrink back under his terrified, watery stare. "I… I'm scared, Nana… I'm scared…"

The girl blinked a few times. I'm scared… He'd been scared the whole time – even since the very first moment she'd seen him again those eight years later after what was supposed to have been goodbye, he'd seemed that way. But he'd finally said it out loud…those two simple words.

"I don't…I don't want this!" He screamed desperately, getting a startled flinch out of Nana as he reached out and grasped her shirt with his trembling fingers, burying his face in it as he leaned against her. "Please…save me… Save me!"

It was a terrible thing to ask. It was selfish – he really did put the people around him in danger. But he couldn't help it, the anguish and desperation he'd carried around for so long suddenly crying out from his tongue all at once.

Nana stayed silent for a moment, before a smile suddenly graced her lips. She reached out her arms, wrapping them around her old friend's frail, shaking figure as she pulled him into a light embrace. "I will." She stated, surely and simply.

Cooro just looked up at her in surprise and confusion, not really having expected an answer, or even necessarily having addressed his pleas to her.

"I promise." She continued assuredly. "No matter what happens, Cooro. I promise I'll save you." The girl ended with another warm smile. She still didn't understand what she'd just seen, or what it meant. Or, for that matter, just what it was she was promising, but she couldn't leave him looking that miserable – especially not when he'd just been the one to save her again. "What I said earlier still holds true, remember? No matter what, we'll always care about you."

"…Nana..." More dampness started to drip down Cooro's cheeks as he held her gaze, his childhood companion unwaveringly keeping on her gentle grin. He suddenly let go of her shirt, instead returning the embrace more tightly than he'd even intended as he fell completely limp in her arms, the human warmth welling in his heart further soothing away the haze that still remained in the back of his mind.

She let him cry, standing there in the dark, underground mine. The two of them were only illuminated under the dim, orange light of the lantern as the girl waited, their figures casting dark shadows on the red-stained walls as his tears finally started to fade away.

To her surprise, Cooro was the first one to speak next. "C…Come on… We still need to get out of here!" He sputtered, trying to stand up straighter. The strange urgency from earlier had already reappeared in his voice.

He'd gotten control of himself again for now, but he didn't want to push it any longer… He still wanted out of there fast!

Nana didn't argue. "You're right…let's get out of here, and go find Husky and Senri!"

Cooro smiled slightly, before suddenly diverting his gaze again as a thought came to him. "Umm…you're not…"

The young woman just shook her head, already guessing what he was going to say. "No…I'm not going to tell them anything about what I saw. That's not my place, if you don't want me to."

The dark-haired boy brightened a bit once more, his face reflecting his gratitude. "…Thanks, again…"

They passed each other one more tired, but genuine smile, Nana helping Cooro back over to one of the walls. He spread his black wings again, Nana watching him take to the air once more as if nothing had just happened. With that, they fell completely silent – the two of them finally setting off again for the exit they knew must be nearby without speaking another word.

* * *

Husky once again walked along the trail towards the site of the tragedy, coming to a halt as the ruins of the mountain passage loomed over him. He swallowed hard as he looked up at the towering, deadly pile of ruble, still trying hard not to think about what might be under all that debris.

Sounds of movement hit his ears from just a little ways further ahead, eventually prompting his stiff, hesitant legs to carry him up the hill of rocks.

Sure enough, Senri was still there, digging away at the surface of the ruble near where the edge of the canyon had once been. He hadn't left since that morning, continually sifting through whatever piles of debris and boulders he could.

Husky just sighed. "Hey…Senri, are you going to come back now? It's about time for dinner…" He'd left the horrible ruins himself earlier that afternoon after helping with the search for a couple of hours, but eventually an oncoming sense of loneliness had driven him back. He didn't really want to eat alone in that room.

The former guard got no answer, his older companion continuing to move and scatter the rocks with nothing more than a quick, un-telling glance back. He let out another moan before simply climbing up to join him, not pleased to be spending more time at that awful place than they needed to. He'd had enough of it.

He gave up on saying anything, though, just standing there for a moment and watching Senri dig at the ruins. He knew it was useless, and in reality his companion probably did too, but he still couldn't pry him away from the grim scene.

As he stood there, he found his eyes wandering absently around the area, catching all the places where the rocks had been disturbed and later abandoned. With all of the people who had been buried during the attack, they also had to be careful not to dig up anything they didn't want to.

But if they dug deep enough, Senri, possibly due to his +anima, seemed to be able to sense when they were over one of the assault's victims. He'd suddenly stop pushing away the rocks, take a quick sniff, and then announce that it wasn't Nana or Cooro before simply moving elsewhere.

Husky looked down, noticing Senri pause and hesitate beneath him again. "Hmm? What? Is there…something here?"

The bear +anima gazed back up, surprising the silver-haired boy with the new alarm in his wide eyes. "…Cooro!" He announced, his voice much louder than normal.

"_What_?" Husky stumbled back a few steps, his heart all at once leaping into his throat and pounding so hard that he had to fight for breath. "Y…you mean…you think that…? You think that he's…here?"

"…Just faint…" Senri explained briefly, a slight quaver creeping into his usually monotone words.

The former guard took in just a slight sigh of relief, realizing that his old friend was referring to whatever scent he'd picked up. If it was faint…maybe Cooro wasn't really there…? Maybe it was just a trace of scent that'd been left behind? But still…

Senri all at once started digging, faster than before as he shoved away the rocks. Husky gulped, watching silently as he struggled to control his nervous pulse.

Another pause came when the top of something made of wood suddenly appeared, jutting out from the ruble. The bear +anima carefully moved away another couple pieces of debris, revealing slightly more of the oak object.

Husky breathed, recognizing it instantly. "It's…Cooro's wheel chair…" There was no doubt about it – what they were looking at was a partially broken handle bar from the chair their dark-haired companion used to get around.

The two of them suddenly exchanged a wide-eyed glance, neither of them speaking as they both all at once attacked the pile of debris, frantically pushing it away. They didn't dare even stop to think while they were clearing the ruble, terrified of what they might find underneath. The next pause only came when the whole wheel chair was exposed.

Nothing. It was empty. And so was the space around it. Cooro himself wasn't there.

Husky sighed in relief, falling part way down in exhaustion as his muscles un-tensed slightly.

Seeing the wheel chair undeniably meant that his two old friends had indeed been present during the attack…but thank goodness they hadn't actually found Cooro still sitting in it!

He closed his eyes and forced in another deep breath, his hands trembling at the thought. When he opened his gaze, though, he realized Senri wasn't beside him anymore. He quickly swung his head around, catching sight of his single remaining companion again as the bear +anima made his way down the river of debris into what had once been the canyon.

Husky immediately stood back up. Was he still following another trace of scent? "…Senri? What is it? Where are you going?" Senri glanced back at him. "…Cooro…still faint…" He explained briefly, apparently having picked up another hint of it after all.

The silver-haired boy followed again after a few seconds of hesitation, suddenly noticing the older man stop and stare downward at something just below the surface of the ruble as he approached. "What?" He asked nervously again. "What did you find?"

Senri turned back around as Husky came to a stop. Held between his fingers was a single black feather. It was stiff and matted with dust, having been buried under the rocks. For a moment, they just stared at it, both of their gazes confused.

"…Cooro's…" The bear +anima finally concluded, taking another slight sniff of the lonely looking black shape.

Husky, though, just shook his head. "Senri…that's probably just a regular crow feather… It can't be Cooro's – he lost his +anima, remember?

Senri just countered with a shake of his own head. "...Cooro's."

The former guard didn't try to argue again, just taking in another sigh as he delicately took the small, dark shape from his companion's hand, gazing at it thoughtfully.

If the feather really was from Cooro, that would have to mean that he'd been lying all along. Was that really all that impossible? He didn't know why he'd lie about something like that, especially to them, but since the four of them had reunited, he'd never really gotten the sense that he knew who Cooro was anymore.

Maybe…maybe it was his. Despite the find of the wheel chair, they hadn't actually found any proof that their two old friends were buried beneath those rocks. Maybe Cooro was still a +anima, and had used his wings to save himself and Nana.

But then, that still circled back to the question of why they hadn't come back. He couldn't answer that one.

Husky gazed out towards the ocean, distractedly twirling the feather around in his fingers as he watched the chilled autumn sun waver and reflect on its surface.

Maybe they still would come back. He still couldn't quite bring himself to believe they wouldn't. He refused to, as long as there was any bit of hope left to cling to. His eyes wandered back down to the feather, a distant smile appearing at the edges of his lips.

"Can you catch the scent of anything else, Senri?" The boy suddenly asked, not looking up.

The bear +anima just shook his head.

"Then let's go back now. I don't really want to be here anymore." Husky decided, this time getting a slight nod out of Senri. He walked carefully back down passed the rocks, still tightly clutching the black feather in his fingers as he led the way towards the fortress.

* * *

Cooro continued surging forward as fast as his tired wings would carry him. The powerful black shapes still ached with every flap, the rest of his exhausted body sagging below them in midair.

He couldn't think about what'd just happened. About what he'd done or what Nana had seen. He fought to keep it out of his mind, focusing only on reaching a place where he could finally put his wings away. At this point, he would still feel the effects for a while afterwards, but if he could do that, he could probably outlast them instead of having them get worse again.

Something suddenly caught his eye, breaking him out of his thoughts. It was the first, small hint of light, appearing around the bend as the main path wrapped around a corner. He paused, hovering in midair for a moment as he stared ahead. "…Nana! Nana, hurry – it's a way out!"

The girl quickly spun around the turn, finally catching sight of the light herself. Smiles immediately came across both of their faces, the two sharing them with a brief, excited glance before they all at once rushed forward together, racing for the almost painfully bright exit.

Nana took in a deep breath as they burst into the sunlight, holding out her arms as if to embrace the fresh, crisp fall air that was flowing into her lungs. "I can't believe it! We're outside! We made it!"

Cooro laughed, momentarily forgetting his exhaustion and anxiety as he flew up higher passed the cave entrance, with a few playful, excited flaps of his wings.

His smile abruptly faded, though, as he hovered back down to the grass below his feet, leaning up against a tree as he landed with his weight on his left foot. Biting his bottom lip, he turned his head slightly, finding his gaze wandering to the two dark shapes hanging from his shoulders.

Right. He was out. That meant it was time to put them away again. For good, this time.

It wasn't fair! He hated the haze and thoughts that his +anima seemed to trigger, but he loved to fly. He loved the feeling of his powerful wings behind him as he danced and dashed through the air. It was almost as hard to know that this had been the last time as it was when he'd made his first promise to himself three years ago. It wasn't fair…

Cooro sighed, letting his forehead hit and rest against the tree as he turned his gaze away from his wings and blankly towards the ground. He struggled to suppress the lump in his throat, giving them just one last far-reaching stretch and flap before he brought the huge, dark shapes straight back behind his shoulders.

"Don't put your wings away right now!" Nana scolded, again realizing what he was going to do. "I still haven't found any other way to get around yet!"

"Oh…right…" Cooro sputtered, feeling his heavy wings droop behind him again. Of course – he wasn't any better off now than he had been in the cave so far…he'd have to manage to keep himself under control for just a little bit longer.

They'd emerged into a green, open field, littered with just a few small buildings. Further ahead, though, the sight of rooftops hinted at the presence of a town.

"It looks like there's a village nearby." Nana pondered, gazing at the view. "Let's get going, and see if we can find a way to get back to the fortress from there."

The girl was about to start walking forward when the sound of a voice suddenly distracted her, making her jump. Both she and Cooro immediately jerked their gazes up, turning to look in the direction the loud gasp had come from.

A young man, probably only scarcely older than they were and dressed in the beat-up, dirty clothes of a miner, gazed back at them, eyes huge in fear and mouth agape. "It…it's…" He stuttered, taking a few steps back. "+Anima! It's +anima!"

Nana and Cooro instantly tensed, hearing voices ring out in alarm from all around what they realized must be a miner camp. "No! Wait, quiet! We're not going to –" The young woman, not yet having had put away her +anima either after using it to find her way around in the cave, frantically tried to calm him down.

"Help! +Anima are here! They're by the old, abandoned mine! Help me!" The boy continued to scream, ignoring her pleas.

"They must be from that fortress!" "They're invading the village – they're going to attack!" "Quick, everyone, arm yourselves!" More and more people emerged, warnings and cries echoing frantically across the field as the camp erupted into chaos.

The two +anima just watched with wide, scared eyes as a gang of miners surrounded them, holding out a threatening mixture of knives, chains, shovels, and pick-axes.

These miners were probably the same ones from the rest of the caravan they'd rode with earlier. They must've heard unpleasant rumors about the rebel +anima fortress that lurked nearby, or perhaps even of the carriage that deserted them.

"Please…stop!" Nana begged, cursing their luck. They hadn't even been out of the cave five minutes, and already they'd stumbled into another attack. "It's not an invasion or anything like that! We're the only two here! We got separated from our friends, and were just passing through on our way back! We don't mean any harm at all! We're not even going to stay!"

"Nonsense!" One man, probably one of the older miners, spat. "Even if it is just the two of you, we can't just let creatures like you go! We have enough of you beasts waiting to strike in that fortress of yours!"

"But I swear, we're not here to hurt you!" The young woman insisted fervently. She paused, gesturing behind her as her wings all at once disappeared. "See?" Cooro nodded, quickly putting his wings away as well without time for hesitation. "We just want to get back to our friends… That's all…" Nana explained, trying to keep her voice as reasonable and as calm as possible. "Please…just let us pass through…"

"We can't just let them free – someone, run back to the village and bring the guards. We'll let them decided what to do with these two wretches!" Another man suddenly ordered, ignoring Nana's pleas as a younger boy that was watching all at once took off across the field towards the direction of the apparently nearby town.

Nana and Cooro both gasped in horror. "No!" The girl screamed. "Don't bring the guards! If they catch us…they might –!"

"That isn't a problem of ours." A third man insisted coldly.

Nana clenched her fists, feeling a dampness starting to appear under her eyes in desperation. "Please… We're exhausted and injured…and we haven't done anything to you at all! We're survivors of the brutal attack on the mountainside passage… All we want is to see our friends and tell them we're okay…please, just let us go…" Cooro already had tears running down his cheeks. "Please…" He repeated, speaking up for the first time.

"Hey…isn't that?" A startled voice suddenly came up from one of the younger boys that was watching from alongside another group. A few more gasps arose from that section of the crowd. "That's Cooro!" "He's a +anima!" "It can't be – you mean we had a +anima with us for that long? That's disgusting!" "I told you he was creepy! I always knew there was something wrong with him!"

The jeers came from the group of young men that traveled with Taru – Cooro's former companions.

"Those black wings he had – it's like he's an angel of death! I bet it's because of him that Yumea died!" "For all we know, he could've killed him himself!" "Yumea should've just left that creature in the gutter that he found him in!"

Cooro buried his face into the tree again, water running all the way down his neck as sobs threatened to overtake him once more at the mention of Yumea – the boy who had invited him to join in with the miners and befriend him, only to later be murdered in secret by Catherine.

Nana took a few steps closer, placing a reassuring hand on her companion's shoulder as she gazed down at Taru himself. He stood just to the side of his underlings, wide-eyed and completely silent.

"Taru! It's just us, Nana and Cooro! Please, tell them to let us go!" She begged, calling out to the old miner who frequented near the merchant shop where she'd lived. "Taru…please…" Cooro added, his eyes filled with tears and his voice broken.

But the old miner said nothing, just staring up at the girl he'd been familiar with and the boy who'd once been a part of his group in disbelief. "Cooro…? Nana…? You're…?" He just looked away, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry…"

Nana gazed back down in equal disbelief, a few more sobs escaping Cooro's tightly shut lips as he leaned back into the tree.

It was too late for anyone to say anything else, a squadron of guards all at once rushing into the camp.

"Those two – there!" The boy who had fetched them explained urgently, pointing up at the two +anima. "That's them – they both had wings!"

The miners stepped aside as the guards charged up towards the entrance of the old mine, snatching up Nana and Cooro before either of them managed to react. The men holding them pulled down the necks of their shirts, quickly identifying and exposing their +anima markings.

"Let us go!" Nana protested, all at once bursting back into her +anima form, her wings appearing and briefly shoving them back as she let out a screech. She took the moment they were dazed to reach for the knives at her belt in defense, but it hadn't bought her enough time. They shoved her to the ground as she screamed, quickly gagging her mouth and binding her hands together with chains.

As much as it scared her to think about what'd happened in that mine, she briefly wondered if Cooro could fight them off in whatever strange way he'd been attacking before. But when she managed to drag her gaze over towards her companion, he was still in his normal human form, already gagged and chained. He was leaning pathetically against the same tree, having given up from the beginning this time.

"What should we do with them?" One of the guards wondered aloud. "Should we just do away with them now?"

Another official shook his head, thankfully not seeming to realize that the government had specifically ordered the two of them killed. "No, more dead +anima won't do us any good. I say we take them back with us to Astar. Since they're probably from that nearby fortress and survivors of the attack on the mountainside, they might be useful for ransom purposes. And if nothing else, we can always use them for research."

"Right." The first man nodded, agreeing. "Let's just throw them in the luggage hold and take them with us to the boat, then."

Nana struggled as the men yanked her back up, the miners watching in relief as they lead her and Cooro to the carriage that belonged to the guards. It was useless – the more she fought, the rougher they became, shoving her along.

She heard Cooro let out a muffled, painful scream, quieted by the rag in his mouth. "I can't walk!" He tried to protest, but the guards never made out the words, continuing to push him forward in frustration. One of the men snatched up his right arm and dragged him along carelessly after he tumbled down face first, stumbling and struggling for footing as they pulled him to the carriage without even letting him get up.

The officials opened the trunk area of the carriage and roughly shoved the two +anima in, submerging them in darkness as they slammed it closed.

They left promptly after that, the guards only receiving a few messages of thanks from the miners before heading back towards the boat that was apparently headed for Astar as well.

Unable to move her fists, Nana angrily banged her head against the wood wall surrounding them, panting for air. Cooro just lay there in defeat, spread out against the boxes and bags in the luggage hold.

The two of them exchanged a dampened glance, barely able to see each other with the small sliver of light creeping in through the crakes in the wood. They couldn't even talk with the rags those men had gagged them with in their mouths! All they could do was stare, in empty, fearful silence.

Nana defiantly smashed her head against the wood again, continuing to slam the inside of carriage until a throbbing pain in her skull forced her to stop.

Damn it! They'd been so close! They'd survived the assault on the mountainside, they'd survived the attack from the cougars and had finally found their way out of that mine…only to end up in a guard's carriage on their way to who knew what fate in Astar…

Nana finally collapsed in exhaustion, struggling for breath. She could feel dampness on her face, the clicking of the horses' hooves and the wheels of the carriage echoing in her ears – the sounds that were carrying the two of them farther and farther away from the place and friends they'd tried so desperately to return to.

* * *

_Poor Cooro and Nana - things keep getting worse and worse for them. They're really in trouble now..._

_Anyway, review and stay tuned!_


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Memories And Minutes

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_Here's the fifteenth full chapter, and also the longest so far! Quite a bit is finally revealed in this one..._

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen:** Counting The Memories And Minutes

**

* * *

**

Husky bent down silently, placing his carefully selected batch of red and white flowers on the already huge pile of bouquets at his feet.

The base of the hill at the sight of the tragedy was covered in all the shades of the blooms that still persisted in autumn, the heap of flowers by the stone tablet that'd been set up continually increasing in size as the people who'd gathered around stepped up one by one to pay their respects.

Husky just stood there for a moment as he slowly raised himself back up, two of the names listed near the bottom of the stone memorial catching his eye. … 'Nana Alba'…and 'Cooro'…

He felt numb inside, still unable to believe that his old friends really weren't coming back…that they'd been taken away in an instant – just like that! It didn't feel real… Regardless of what the names on the altar said, a part of his heart still clung to the belief he'd see them again. But… It'd been a week now since the day of the tragedy on the mountainside…

Kazana and the other fortress officials had decided to leave the collapsed, ruined passage untouched, instead opting to clear another way across the mountain area further away from the ocean. The victims of the attack would remain there, undisturbed…a group memorial being built near them instead of moving their bodies from their rest.

That meant, though…that he might never know for sure if his lost companions were indeed up on that hill. Husky sighed, Senri, who'd already placed his bouquet by the stone marker, gently guiding him away as the next person came to step up to the altar, flowers in hand.

"…They aren't coming back, are they, Senri?" The words escaped from the former guard's lips in nothing more than a sad, empty whisper, his eyes set blankly on the ground as they finally started to water.

He'd wanted so badly to believe they would. He and Senri had continued coming to the ruins of the mountain passage every morning, the suspicious black feather that'd been buried beneath the rocks, and the way they'd never found anything else besides it and the empty wheel chair had given him hope… But… It'd been too long. If Nana and Cooro were still alive…surely they would've come back by now?

Senri didn't answer, or even make any sign that he'd heard, tears dripping down his own cheeks as well.

"Let's just go back…" Husky suddenly decided, his voice solemn, before all at once bursting away from the grieving crowd as the next +anima offered a collection of flowers by the memorial, the water welling beneath his eyes starting to fall faster.

He only stopped his blind running as he reached the fortress, slowing himself as he entered the cold, stone halls. Maybe Senri would catch up now… The silver-haired young man had heard his only remaining companion take off after him in surprise as he'd dashed away, but as of the moment couldn't bring himself to care.

The boy wandered aimlessly, letting himself pass the entrance to their room as he padded down the hall in the general direction of the balcony. He didn't know where he was going – he just hadn't been able to stand being at that place anymore!

It was strangely silent. The normally crowded building was nearly empty, most of its occupants gathered out by the memorial.

The fortress itself, though, was doing well. In the past week, more and more rogue +anima had made their way to the safe haven, continually filling its cramped halls with bustle and noise even despite the recent losses.

Just earlier that morning, an official had asked him and Senri if they'd be all right with opening up the two, currently untouched, sleeping spaces in their four person room to some of the new arrivals. They'd refused, though, saying they weren't ready. It felt like seeing someone else take those beds would mean signing away all hope of their old friends returning… He still wasn't willing to do that.

"But what are we going to do about that note we received? Judging by the written date, the boat that it was sent from should be arriving in Astar within the week…"

"…Nothing. There isn't anything we can do…"

Husky suddenly stopped as the sole, muffled voices hit his ears, causing him to take his hands from the creaking balcony door he'd been opening. Quietly, he stepped towards the entrance to the stairway that lead further inside the fortress instead, trying to listen in.

"…But… I mean…we can't just…"

"What would you suggest, then? We can't give up everything for just a couple of lives."

A note sent from a boat returning to Astar? Giving up everything for a couple of lives? Nothing they could do? …Just what was it they were talking about?

The silver-haired boy quietly made his way down the stairwell. He recognized the second voice as Kazana's, figuring that the first had to belong to some other official.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Husky opened to the door at the bottom of the downward path just slightly, trying to hear their voices more clearly. He caught sight of Kazana and the other official out of the corner of his eye as he gazed through the thin crack, the two engaged in what looked like an argument. He gestured for silence as he heard Senri pad down the stairs behind him in confusion, the bear +anima having finally caught up.

"But we swore we'd protect every +anima that came to the fortress…is it really right to just pretend like we never even received the note?" The official, another young man, persisted.

Kazana sighed solemnly, regret staining his voice. "It's…for the best. It's precisely because we swore to protect the fortress that we can't do anything – it wouldn't be fair to any of the others if we agreed to that ransom! And we can't just send anyone up there, either – it would be suicide! Especially when we don't even know for sure that the note is real… Believe me…I'd love to save them, too… Especially if they already went through the assault on the mountainside and survived…but there are some things that just can't be done…"

A ransom…? Survivors of the attack…?

Husky suddenly felt his heart quicken, his mind starting to piece together what it was they were talking about. He exchanged a shocked glance with Senri, both of their eyes wide.

The former guard felt an unexpected surge of anger tear through him, all at once slamming the door open without warning.

Kazana and the official both winced in surprise, turning towards the opening of the room in bewilderment as both Husky and Senri made their way in.

"What is this? What were you talking about just now?" Husky demanded, a frown suddenly came across his face, his eyes narrowed. "There was a note, wasn't there…from the boat before it started heading back for Astar? A ransom you're keeping secret from everyone else! There were more survivors of the attack! But they were captured, and you didn't tell anyone!"

More…survivors…?

His already fluttering pulse only kept beating faster, the boy struggling desperately not to get his hopes up too high.

"…You're correct." Kazana admitted bitterly, obviously unhappy about the interruption. "We don't know for sure if the note is real, but according to the ransom, the guards picked up a couple of +anima a day after the assault that they believed were lost survivors, and are taking them with them back to Astar. What they are demanding in exchange for their lives, though, is for us to vacate the old war fortress. There's no possible way we can do that! We didn't feel the need to bring it up when there's nothing we can do…"

Husky's heart only kept pounding, beating in his throat and shortening his breath.

Nana… Cooro…

It…couldn't actually be them…could it? He gave his head a quick, dismissive shake, not wanting to let his heart feel anything until he knew more.

He wavered a moment, his palms sweaty. He forced down a deep breath, trying to steady his voice before he finally let question on his tongue to leave his mouth. "…These survivors… How did they describe them…? What did they say they look like?"

Kazana visibly flinched, taking the former guard by surprise as he hesitated. He remained silent, before a frown spread its way across his face. "That's classified information…"

"Tell me! What do they look like? Who are they?" Husky demanded, clenching his hands into fists. "We have a right to know!"

Kazana still said nothing, until Senri stepped forward with a determined stare that signaled that they weren't leaving until they got the answer.

After a few more moments of tense silence, the eagle +anima finally let out a defeated sigh, keeping his voice distant and neutral as he recalled how the captured survivors had been described in the note. "According to the ransom, there was a bat +anima, female, with green eyes and long light-brown hair. And a male crow +anima, with a frail, sickly build and medium length dark hair. …Both around the ages of eighteen or nineteen."

Husky took in a gasp, his eyes opening wider in shock as Senri mirrored the expression beside him.

"_What_?" The boy spat. "But… But that's… Nana! Cooro! That's Nana and Cooro!"

Time seemed to stand still for a moment, his heart still throbbing in his chest as a wave of realization ran though him – mixed with both shocked relief and a new type of apprehension.

They were alive… Nana and Cooro were alive…

He paused just briefly, trying to steady his voice and the surge of emotion that was swarming through him. "That's them… Nana and Cooro… There's no doubt about it!" The rage suddenly returned to tone. "And you knew that, too! How could you not have told us about this?"

"Because I didn't want you to do anything stupid!" Kazana shouted back. "Like I said…we don't even know for sure if the note is real. And even if it is, we don't know if they really have them. It could just be a cruel trap, based on information they might've obtained about some of the victims of their attack. We're currently investigating the possibility of a spy."

Husky could feel his fingernails dig into his palms. "But if that's the case…they made a mistake." He started quietly, fighting to stay calm. "As far as anyone here knows, Cooro lost his +anima several years ago, right? They were obviously describing him and Nana…but in that note they said he was still a +anima."

Kazana just blinked. "Right… I wondered about that myself. It's true that it doesn't make sense, but… It wouldn't either way. He really wasn't a +anima anymore, was he? Then wouldn't it make it even stranger for them to say that he was if they actually had him?"

"Well…" Husky started, sounding uncertain. "I don't know for sure…but me and Senri found a black feather near where the canyon used to be. I think that Cooro might've been lying when he said he lost his +anima… That would explain how he and Nana could've survived the attack, too. But for anyone to actually know that when even we didn't, they would have to truly have him held there with them."

Senri was already digging through the bag at his belt, pulling out his notebook and flipping through the pages. He stopped when he found the scraggly feather they'd removed from the rocks wedged between the crease, almost completely at the opposite end of the book from the similar black shape that'd been collected there over eight years ago. He delicately moved it out of the pages, holding it up for Kazana to see.

The high official, though, just shook his head. "What makes you think that means anything? It's probably just some random crow feather! It's not like there's any lack of those birds around here – especially at the site of a tragedy like that..."

Husky looked down slightly. It was true. There were plenty of crows around the area by the fortress, and there was even the possibility it could be from another +anima. In the end, though, he just shook his own head. "That's what I said too, but… Senri insists that it's from Cooro. And if he says that, then I believe him… It's not like him to be wrong about something like that."

"…Cooro's…" Senri repeated with a nod as he gazed at the feather, Husky's words putting a slight smile on his face.

Kazana, though, just looked away, obviously still unconvinced. "Even if we knew they _did_ have them for sure, that doesn't change the fact that there's nothing we can do… We still can't give up the whole fortress for the sake of just two people! And sending anyone up there to Astar would not only be dangerous, but it would be nearly impossible to get to them in a place as well guarded as the capital…"

"Then send me!" Husky suddenly insisted. "I used to work for the guards in Astar! I know everything there is to know about that area and how they operate! I know I could find them and save them!

Kazana blinked for a moment in surprise, but still shook his head. "That's impossible!" He repeated. "…I understand how you feel, but even if there was something you could do once you got there, there's no way we could get you to Astar…"

"When did you get the note?" Husky demanded.

"We found it here four days ago…" The other official explained. "It was probably transferred from the guards on the ship to one that's stationed here, and then dropped off during the night."

Four days ago… The former guard clenched his teeth. Somehow, he knew with no doubt the note was true. Nana and Cooro were alive, he was sure of that now. They were probably suffering horribly, and yet Kazana and the other officials had chosen to simply continuing leading them to believe that the two had died during the tragedy. How could they do such a thing? They couldn't just do nothing when there was still a chance to save them!

Judging from what he knew about the Astar guards, the ship would probably make a few more assigned stops on its way back to the capital. Even though it'd been a week since his two companions had gone missing, he doubted that the boat would've reached Astar yet…it would probably take a few more days before it reached its destination – that would be just enough time for a boat that went straight there to intercept them almost at the point of arrival.

He passed Senri another glance, searching the eyes of the only companion that remained beside him.

The bear +anima returned the stare unwaveringly, recognizing the unspoken question. "…They saved me…" He reminded, resolute determination reflecting in his sure gaze. "…We'll save them…"

Husky couldn't help but smile, before turning back to Kazana and the other official with the same determined, decided stare. "Get us a boat! I don't care what kind – anything that can get us to Astar! We're leaving right away to bring back Nana and Cooro – if we hurry, we can catch the guard's ship just after it arrives at the capital!"

"I don't have any way to get you there!" Kazana persisted. "We don't have any boats or anything like that!"

"Then tell where we can find one!" Husky countered. "We're near the ocean – there has to be one we can take around here somewhere!"

The eagle +anima opened his mouth to argue again, but a new, timid voice stopped him as the figure of another person emerged from the doorway.

"Umm…excuse me for eavesdropping, but I think I can help you."

Husky and Senri both spun around in surprise, immediately recognizing the older woman who'd stepped into the room. "Meora!" The former guard stuttered, stunned. It was the baker from Iseem who'd apparently befriended Cooro for a time, shortly after the four of them had originally parted ways. "What are you doing here?"

"I followed you." She admitted simply. "I knew that you were close to Cooro and that girl, and it looked like you were having a hard time at the memorial today…I thought I'd come grieve with you, but then my curiosity got the better of me after I realized you'd gone down here." A mischievous grin spread its way across her face. "And now look what I've found out."

Kazana grimaced in frustration, cursing himself for talking about the topic in such an open area – he'd thought it was safe enough with most of the occupants at the memorial service, but apparently it'd actually been quite a bad time to bring up anything to do with the incident.

"I still have connections with some of the old sailors from Iseem…" Meora suddenly continued. "I think one of my friends from the port told me they'd be out in this area for fishing during the autumn. He's probably somewhere along the beach. I'd be happy to pay him to give you a ride."

"Meora…" Husky caught the woman's eyes, startled at the offer.

A steady, reassuring smile appeared over her aged features. "If I buy you the way, will you promise to save Cooro and that young lady for me?"

Husky let out a brief, ironic chuckle before returning the grin, still meeting her directly in the eyes. "Absolutely! Of course we'll save them! We'll come back here alive – all four of us!" He assured with Senri nodding in agreement, making the promise both for her and for himself.

"B…but... You can't! It's insane! Even if you do know the area, going alone is completely mad! And I can't send anyone else on such a risky, impossible assignment! If you go…it'll only mean that all four of you will die… Whether they really are alive right now or not, I'm sure that Nana and Cooro don't want that…" Kazana insisted solemnly.

Husky's gaze fell slightly downcast, but the determination in his eyes never faded. "If there's even a chance that they might be alive, there's no way that we can stay here and do nothing. If we don't go, we'll always regret not doing everything we could to try to save them. I couldn't live with the guilt if I just left them to suffer and die, especially since I used to be part of the very organization that took them… We have to do everything possible to bring them back to us – I know if it were me and Senri, the two of them would do the same thing…so that means we have to, too." He paused, forcing the confident smile to return to edges of his lips. "But we won't die! You'll see… We'll come straight back to the fortress, with Nana and Cooro both alive, and right beside us!"

"But –" Kazana started again, before the other official grabbed the sleeve of his shirt.

"…It's their decision…" He reminded, making the eagle +anima groan in frustration as he bit his tongue, realizing that it was useless to try to stop them.

"Now that's what I like to hear!" Meora commented, forcing confidence into her own raspy, but steady voice. "If you're really serious about this, then I'll help you go out and look for the man I know from Iseem as soon as you're ready. He loves his money, I'm sure he'll agree to the deal."

The former guard passed a brief glance back to Senri, the bear +anima's gaze telling him that he'd be just as unable to stay still. "…We should leave right away." He decided, already feeling a sense of urgency awaken his senses and weigh heavily on his chest. "How about just after dinner this evening?"

Senri and Meora both agreed. "That's fine." The woman confirmed. "If it's all right with my sailor friend, I'll see to having you sent off by sunset!"

Husky just nodded gratefully. "…Thank you."

_Nana… Cooro… You're alive! I knew it…I knew you weren't up on that hill! I'm sorry… I don't know what you're going through right now, but we're coming, we'll save you! We'll find you again – just wait and see!_

* * *

Catherine hovered on the edge of the rocky cliffs that overlooked the beach.

There was a boat beneath her. It was a small, old ship, covered in chipped paint with a haul coated in barnacles, but definitely still seaworthy.

She watched silently as the salty ocean air chilled her lungs, observing the motion below as a man untied the knots holding the boat to the rickety wooden dock along the coast.

The ship was leaving, and it would be taking that boy's two companions with it.

Lost in thought, the black-winged young woman just stared as the ship begun drifting away from the dock, the autumn breeze in its sails slowly starting to move it along the lucid, endless surface of the ocean. The orange twilight of the sunset reflected on the gently swaying water, painting the whole scene in shades of pale red as it departed, the three men onboard waving to an older woman who lingered behind on the shore.

Maybe she should leave, too…

She'd waited, but her target had never come back, and she could feel him getting farther and farther away with each day that passed.

Perhaps now, though, he was somewhere where she could reach him. Most likely, it was him and that girl he'd been with that the fish and the bear +anima were going after, and if they could possibly find him, she certainly could. After all, judging by the way he was still missing, something must've gone wrong, and she wasn't about to leave it to those two to save him!

Catherine sighed, before giving her huge, dark wings a few powerful flaps. She took off over the darkening orange ocean, heading in the direction the boat seemed to be aiming for and towards the distant place where she could feel her target's presence.

* * *

"Captains Joseph and Zeale – reporting in with the two captured +anima."

"All right, come on in, I'll go and get the administrator for you."

Nana looked up at the looming, creaking pair of wooden doors opening in front of her, revealing the shadowed inside of the Astar guard station.

She grimaced as the man behind her gave her a rough shove, forcing her to walk forward. She didn't bother struggling – a pair of handcuff kept her wrists tied together below her back, a chain that came off of it giving the guards full control over her. She'd even tried using her +anima – screeching and fighting with her wings in their faces – but it was no use. The handcuffs were also connected to the arm of the man behind her – no matter what she did, she couldn't escape…

The inside of the station was well polished for what was essentially a prison. The expensive flooring and well decorated lobby area had an air of refinement befitting the capital, but Nana still got a shiver as she entered.

As frightened as she was, though, she couldn't help but enjoy finally seeing something other than that horrible, lonely cell on that boat.

She spared a glance over at Cooro. He was nearly suspended in the air beside her, his feet barely touching the ground. The frustrated guard who was hauling him had long since tired of his inability to walk well, and had taken to practically dragging him along by the chain connected to the handcuffs.

He was a mess. The girl knew she couldn't look much better, but the way he wasn't even bothering to gaze around made him seem even more pathetic. His filthy, unruly dark hair hung scraggily over his downcast eyes and smudged skin, the dirty clothes that covered his body sticking to his sweaty limbs and reeking of the scent of the boat's small prison area.

All the same, Nana couldn't help but grin when she looked over at him, a brief light coming across her own dusty features. "At least now I can see your face again." She whispered, figuring that the waiting guards wouldn't pay that much attention to what they were doing as long as they still had them under their control.

Cooro finally raised his head slightly as she spoke, weakly returning the smile as he turned his eyes towards her. "…Yeah."

They'd spent just a little under two weeks locked up in the prison area of the Astar government's warship – an agonizingly long time. The two of them had immediately been tossed into separate cells as soon they'd arrived at the boat from the carriage, with scarcely more than the food and water they needed to survive.

The cells they'd been locked in were side by side, but the thick, wooden wall between the two cramped cages had kept them apart. There'd been a tiny hole in the barrier, though – it was too small for either of them to able to see through, but it'd allowed just enough space for them to stick their fingers across to the other side. They'd spent most of the miserable, stagnant time like that – pressed against opposite sides of the wall, trying to sleep with their fingers intertwined as they listened to the sound of each other's voices and breathing… It'd been the only link they'd had to something beyond their own small cell. Now, though, it felt good to be able to see again that there was indeed more to her companion that just a few dangling fingers and a small, quiet voice.

"…What do you think will happen to us now?" Nana asked softly, feeling awkward about wondering it aloud considering that the guards holding them probably knew the answer.

The ship they'd been thrown on had ended up being the same one that'd attacked the fortress. It'd stopped for repairs at a nearby port after it'd been driven away in defeat, and they'd gone with it on its way back.

Captain Joseph – Husky's former commander – had been on the ship. Unlike the local guards who'd captured them, he'd recognized them instantly as two of the +anima from the group that was supposed to destroyed upon sight.

An argument over their fate had started after that, the two of them not able to do anything but helplessly listen. Denouncing the demanding ransom as unrealistic and useless, Captain Joseph had still eventually stepped back and caved to the idea of keeping them alive as leverage.

A letter for the fortress had been sent out with the local guards just the before the boat had departed, but neither of them knew exactly what was inside of it, only that the ransom was more extreme than what was likely to create a response.

"…I don't know…" Cooro answered dryly, his eyes falling back to the floor. Nana didn't bother saying anything else, her own gaze drifting downward until she heard footsteps echoing from the stairwell.

A man emerged into the room, well built and dressed in a uniform that differed slightly from either the captain's outfit or that of a normal guard, followed by another official who was most likely the one who'd heard them coming by the door. Nana stared up shakily at the new figure's cold, businesslike eyes, startled as the guard behind her suddenly spoke up. "Administrator Thowday, these are the +anima we mentioned earlier.

"We found them at the entrance to an abandoned mine just north of the attack on the mountainside." Another man standing just off to the side, Captain Zeale, continued. "We believe they are survivors from the fortress, and we've come to the decision that it would be best to see how far they'll stretch as leverage."

The man, apparently the administrator of the guard station, scratched his chin, padding over to look Nana and Cooro over. The guards holding them pulled down the collars of their shirts as he walked up, revealing the markings on their back and shoulders. "Aren't these two of the +anima who were supposed to be killed, under charges of murder?" Administrator Thowday wondered aloud, not even flinching under Nana's defiant, nervous glare.

"Indeed." Captain Joseph, who was standing just to the side of Zeale, confirmed perhaps a bit too eagerly. "These are also two of the ones Myrrha deserted with, but we couldn't locate him or the last wanted +anima…we figure they're likely in the fortress."

"Do you really think it's best to keep them alive for ransom, Zeale, rather than just disposing of them as planned?" Thowday pondered aloud, knowing that the letter had been mostly Zeale's decision.

"That ransom he sent was pretty outrageous." Joseph commented before he could answer. "It asked for the +anima to surrender the whole fortress as property of Astaria – I really don't think they're going to do that just for the sake of two lives."

"Well…" Captain Zeale finally responded. "Probably not. But, either way, they know we're serious now, and perhaps more importantly, there's also the possibility the threat could lure other +anima here in an attempt to save them – we might even be able to catch some of their officials if we're patient and lucky. Regardless of how things go, I believe it's best to save every little bit of leverage over them that we can. Simply killing these two would serve no purpose to us now that we have them here."

"I doubt it'll make that much difference either way…" The administrator concluded uncertainly. "But I suppose we may as well keep them alive and see what happens for now, now that the +anima at the fortress have already been told we have them. …All right. We'll keep them separate from the other +anima we've gathered from within Astar for now – just toss them in one of the basement cells."

Captain Zeale nodded, satisfied. "Right away, sir…but we'll need the key to get down to that area…"

"Oh…right." Thowday recalled, having momentarily forgotten about the fact that access to the basement area was restricted. "I think Rissel's down there doing a check of the area – he must have the key. Let me call him." The man paused, turning to the part of the stairwell that descended downward. "Rissel! Come up here for a minute!"

…Rissel?

Cooro blinked, unsure of why his heart suddenly started beating faster at the mention of the name. Why did it seem so…familiar?

"All right, I'm coming." Another male voice confirmed, a new figure stepping up into the lobby seconds later.

The crow +anima let out a gasp, immediately placing the name as he saw the man's face. It…couldn't be! It couldn't be! His eyes widened in shock and disbelief – hardly able to believe who it was he was looking at. He flushed even paler than usual, angling his face to the side slightly and freely letting his dark hair fall over his eyes, obscuring his features.

"Cooro…?" Nana noticed the abrupt reaction, passing him a strange look. She got no response, her own heart starting to race in alarm when she saw her companion start to tremble, dampness already beginning to dribble down his cheeks. She was about to call out to him again when the sound of other voices interrupted her.

"We need the key." Thowday explained to the man named Rissel. "We have two +anima here from the abandoned war fortress that we're keeping for leverage. We're going to throw them down in the basement."

"More +anima, huh? Nasty things! What did you catch this time?" Rissel asked curiously with a wrinkled nose, gazing over at the two forlorn figures held captive near the entrance. Internally, it was no secret that this man hated +anima – he'd been a prominent speaker for the movement against them as soon as it'd first begun.

"A bat and a crow." Captain Joseph explained casually, gesturing to the two +anima each in turn.

Rissel instantly stiffened, practically shouting as he suddenly whipped back around, making Cooro flinch. "A crow? You captured a crow +anima…?"

Joseph just blinked, taken aback by the unexpected response along with the rest of the guards, as well as Nana. "…Yeah… That boy, there… Why?"

"Err…nothing! …It's…nothing…" Rissel gave his head a quick, dismissive shake, only to have his voice trail off again as his eyes fell back to Cooro.

The young man tilted his head even further away, shrinking under the gaze.

_Please…don't let him recognize me… Don't let him realize who I am! If he does…I'm…_

Rissel suddenly stepped forward towards him, unable to suppress his suspicion. That boy…he did remind him a lot of… But how could that possibly be…?

The man bent down lower as he approached, getting a bewildered stare from everyone else in the room as he fought to catch a glimpse of Cooro's face. He all at once lost his patience with the resisting captive, reaching out to grab his cheek and raise his chin himself.

"No! Stop!" The crow +anima struggled violently, trying in vain to pull his head away from the man's palms. A sense of panic tore through him, the young man already realizing what was coming next as the guard finally managed to jerk and hold his terrified face still in front of him.

There was a moment of complete, utter silence as their eyes met, Rissel's mouth slowly falling agape as he stared at the boy in front of him. His gaze flared in absolute disbelief, followed by a look of pure horror – the man almost screamed as the sight before him sunk in, the realization causing him to stumble back with shaky limbs. "It…it can't be…! Y…you! It's you! It can't be!"

His words rang hollow throughout the lobby, Nana and the other guards still staring wordlessly with confused, alarmed gazes.

Cooro immediately looked back down, his face already wet with tears. That man's gaze was too painful to look at…

"H…how? H…how can you be…? You're dead! I…I killed you… I…" Rage turned the guard's face red, hardening his confused, shocked features. "You wretch! I avenged my brother – I _killed_ you!" Rissel continued screaming.

"Rissel, calm down!" Thowday yelled, bellowing to be heard above his subordinates shouting. "What are you talking about? What's gotten into you?"

"Don't you know who this is?" Rissel accused. "This is the perpetrator of the Kite Village massacre three years ago!" The man violently reached out and grabbed Cooro by the collar of his shirt, pulling him threateningly close. He didn't even fight anymore, staring up at the guard as if in the trance of a nightmare he couldn't wake up from.

"What? The Kite Village massacre…? But I thought _that_ boy…that +anima, was…" Captain Zeale sputtered, taken aback. "I thought it was you who…"

"That's what I thought, too! I killed him – I shot the arrow through his chest!" Rissel repeated in a mixture of fury and terror. He ripped Cooro's shirt all the way up, his eyes falling on the spot where he'd once seen the flesh tear. The guard's already disbelieving eyes opened even wider, his voice growing even more frightened. "There…there isn't even any scar! W…what…what kind of demon?" He stuttered, taking a few steps back again. "There was no way anyone could survive that! What sort of power…? What sort of demon…?" He sputtered without finishing.

Rissel all at once threw the helpless +anima hard against the ground, even making the guard with the chain from his handcuffs tied around his wrist stumble slightly.

"Cooro!" Nana screamed, broken from her stunned, confused silence.

"You creature! You demon! You wretch!" The man continued bellowing, striking his heel hard against Cooro's face and pounding against his frail body with his wooden-booted foot. "Remember me, Cooro? I saw what you did! I shot the arrow through your chest!" Rissel spat venomously. "You killed them… You killed my brother and his wife! You killed them all!" The guard had tears running down his eyes now, practically falling into hysterics. "How can you still be alive? Murderer! You're nothing but a demon!"

"Stop it!" Nana suddenly shouted, raising her voice even above the raging Rissel's. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop It!" Water was dribbling down her face now, too, the girl unable to believe what nonsense she was hearing. She had to admit that realizing the man actually knew her old friend's name had perturbed her slightly, but what the hell was he talking about? …An arrow through his chest? …Cooro…a murderer?

"You're wrong!" She screamed. "Cooro would never do anything like that! You have the wrong person! You said it yourself that there's no way the person you're talking about could've survived! Please, stop it!"

The man did hesitate for just a moment, still staring down in disbelief at the trembling figure that lay stretched out at his feet. "No! I know him! I never forgot his face! He's the one! He's the one who…" Rissel suddenly narrowed his wide eyes, turning back to the still stunned Thowday. "I want him to die…" He muttered quietly, before all at once raising his voice enough to make Nana flinch. "I want him dead! …Tomorrow. Take him away and hang him at dawn tomorrow!"

Cooro and Nana both gasped in horror and disbelief, the boy just slamming his eyes shut tighter as the girl's opened even wider.

"_What_?" Nana yelped, shocked and terrified at the suggestion. She felt a sense of panic start rising in her chest, her heart suddenly sinking down like lead. …Hang him? "…No… No! You can't! You're wrong – he's not a murderer! You can't…!"

"Hang the boy…? But Rissel, we just decided –" Administrator Thowday started.

"I don't care what you decided!" Rissel insisted. "We all know that, at least to some degree, the case against the wanted +anima before was internal propaganda – we never investigated the details of those crimes…" He started, apparently realizing himself that Cooro and Nana had already been wanted before. "But this is different! I saw this boy kill with my own eyes! I saw him slaughter the only people that gave him a home! He did things that no human, or even +anima, should be able to do! He shouldn't even be alive… He's some kind of demon – I don't know how else to describe it! He needs to be destroyed, once and for all!

"But we already sent out the ransom note saying we have him alive for now…" Captain Zeale argued. "Even against the +anima, we can't just go back on our word…"

Rissel shook his head. "The ransom doesn't matter! In fact it's all the more reason to do away with him now! If they somehow agreed to the ransom, it would be horribly unsafe of us to let such a monster free! There's no way we could do that even if they did agree! Kill him now!"

Thowday just scratched his chin again, sighing. "There's really no way to get you to back down once you've got your mind set on something, is there, Rissel? …I don't know, what do you think, Joseph?"

The captain shrugged. "I don't know about all this with Kite Village, but I know that I do still believe that both of those two should be executed. I have no problems with the boy hanging."

Administrator Thowday stayed silent for just a moment longer, before finally giving a reluctant nod. "All right. I don't believe anything will come from the ransom, anyway, and if it does, at least we'll still have the girl…the boy is so sickly, anyway – how could they prove he didn't just slip away on his own? And if he really _is_ the Kite Village killer, then execution would be the only proper course to take. I obviously don't know nearly as much about that as you do, Rissel – you were the one that was there, one of the only witnesses – I'll take your word for it! He hangs at dawn!"

"No!" Nana screamed, horrified. "_No_! Don't! You can't! You can't just…" Desperate tears streamed down her face, even piercing through the numb disbelief of her shock. "Cooro's not a murderer! You can't do this! Stop! Don't hurt him! You _can't_ do this!"

She looked over at her old friend in horror, finding him getting yanked back up off the ground with a few new bruises on his face. He was completely silent, his eyes somewhere distant as they rested sadly on the ground. He wasn't even trying to stop them – he just stared at nothing, painful tears spilling all the way down to his neck.

Nana felt like she was going to cry as she gazed at him, already feeling pleading sobs throb and sting at the back of her throat, ready to join the water that was dripping down from her own eyes.

Cooro…? They were going to _hang_ Cooro…?

"Thank you, sir!" Rissel chimed, clearly relieved. "Trust me, I know what I'm talking about! I don't know how he survived, but that _is_ the Kite Village killer! All this time I believed that my arrow did away with him, but now that I know he's still alive, it means a lot to me to see my brother's killer dead."

The administrator just nodded, starting to tire of dealing with the almost hysterical man. "Rissel…the key?" He reminded.

"O…oh, right." The guard sputtered, finally pulling the key out of his pocket.

"Joseph, Zeale…go ahead and have your subordinates still take the two +anima down to one of the high security basement cells." Thowday ordered, taking the key and tossing it to Joseph. "We'll send someone down there for the job tomorrow morning."

"Okay." Rissel commented, seeming satisfied. "But be careful – you haven't seen what he's capable off!"

The two captains just nodded, signaling for their guards to follow them down the stairs to the lower level. The men finally started moving forward again, forcing Nana along and practically dragging the still silent, trembling Cooro.

* * *

Nana landed with a thud on the cold, grimy floor as the man shoved her in from behind, slamming the door and shutting the latch with a click as Cooro toppled over beside her.

The girl uttered a curse, immediately jumping back to her feet and shouting through the steel bars at the men disappearing back up the staircase. She was left just standing there as the guards closed the door back to the lobby at the top, submerging them in almost complete darkness aside from the dim torches left burning on the walls.

The two of them were in a single cell – it was larger than the ones they'd been confined in on the boat, but unlike the polished lobby, the prison reeked of death. The basement was the area of highest security…only the most dangerous or valuable prisoners were generally kept there – judging from the noose hanging in the hall just outside of the cell, they even did the executions of those captives without removing them.

Nana abruptly stopped at that thought, feeling frightened and sick.

She spun her gaze to Cooro, the boy remaining completely wordless. He hadn't even bothered to get up after being tossed in the cell, still lying there spread out across the sticky, stained floor. Even as she turned to face him, he wasn't looking at her, or anything in particular as far as she could tell. His eyes were lost and distant, his hands trembling against the cold stone beneath him.

"Cooro!" Nana accused, at the same time bending down and carefully pulling her companion into a sitting position, leaning him gently against the wall. He stayed there without struggling, but his eyes still never met hers. "Come on, Cooro, pull yourself together! Why didn't you fight? That man was obviously crazy – why didn't you try to tell them they had the wrong person?"

He still didn't answer, his distant gaze only falling further down.

"…Oh Cooro." She wailed, her voice shaking. "…What are we going to do? Now they're gonna… They're going to…"

Nana broke down into sobs, not able to finish the words. They were going to _kill_ Cooro! After everything they'd been through, everything they'd survived… This couldn't be happening! It couldn't be happening!

Even as she cried, though, her companion remained as silent as ever, pulling his knees closer to his chest as he kept his absent, fearful eyes on the floor.

"Say something! Answer me!" The young woman demanded, frustrated that he'd remain so quiet and placid on what could end up being the last night of his life if they didn't find someway to stop this. How come she was the only one that seemed to be trying to fight? "We have to do something! We can't let this happen! We need to get out of this and return back to Husky and Senri – both of us! We can't just sit here and wait, we only have until dawn tomorrow! Do something! Anything! Use your +anima and help me try to find a way out! Use whatever it was you did in the mine to get us out of here!"

Cooro suddenly slammed his eyes shut, violently shaking his head. No! Never – he'd never use that again! He finally looked up as he slowly opened his gaze, his eyes still the same. "…There's no way out from in here… It's useless…"

Nana frowned, subconsciously balling her hands into fists. "Don't say that! Don't just give up! Why aren't you trying to fight? There has to be something we can do! Don't just…"

For the first time in a while, Cooro suddenly turned his gaze towards hers. In the past, when he'd most needed to, a determination had appeared in the boy that'd helped them get through whatever it was they were facing…but this time, no fire remained in his distant, ever fearful eyes. There was only deep sadness left, stained with pained, hollow regret. "…Nana…" He started hesitantly, his voice defeated and shameful. A single tear dribbled down his cheek, the young man barely able to believe he was finally speaking the words that were about to leave his lips. "Three years ago…I did something awful…"

Nana just stared blankly for a moment, before letting out a gasp. Three years ago? She hadn't made the connection before, but… No! She shook her head. "…What?" She asked cautiously, her own voice quieting. "What are you talking about?"

Cooro's watery gaze wavered, but in the end he managed to keep his eyes centered on hers. The young man struggled to stay strong – he couldn't escape from it anymore. It'd finally caught up with him…it would be best now if he could just keep himself numb. "I don't have a right to fight for my life. Not really… I know they were quicker to toss the sentence out than normal because I'm a +anima, but I can't say that I don't deserve it." He explained vaguely, a bitter, resigned sadness in his dry voice.

Nana's eyes stretched wide. "Wait! You're not… You're not saying that you actually…?"

"I'm a murderer." Cooro announced, tears freely starting to run down his face as he fought to keep his voice. "I killed that man's brother and his wife! I killed them all – everyone that was there with them!"

The girl said absolutely nothing, her eyes opening even further and her mouth dangling partway open.

Cooro's whole body started shaking. He placed his head in his hands, barely able to control himself as the memories came flooding back. "I still remember the scent of the blood, and how it felt clinging to my skin – I could even taste it as it dribbled down my lips. I remember their screams, too, the people yelling out my name. But they couldn't stop me… No one could. I couldn't even stop myself…" He continued, unable to keep it all from spilling out as he finally put that awful day into words.

Nana just sat there staring at her old friend in terrified, disbelieving horror, all of her muscles stiffened in shock. She shuffled a few feet back, her heart suddenly beating faster as a fear even stronger than the one she'd felt in the mine started coursing through her veins.

A…murderer…? It couldn't be! It couldn't…

"_What_? Y…you…?" She stopped, chocking on her own voice. "W…why? _Why_? Why did you do something like that! What had they done to you?"

If he'd done something like that…he had to have had a reason… Cooro wouldn't just…

The boy himself, though, just shook his head. "They hadn't done anything to me… They were kind enough to let me stay with them and help them with their shop…but I _killed_ them!" He despaired, struggling to keep his breath. "They paid for it with their lives. They hadn't done anything…"

"But then…why –" Nana demanded in horror.

"I don't know why." Cooro answered dryly, turning away and looking back down.

The girl suddenly jumped to her feet, her voice shaking in a mixture of disbelief, shock, and anger. "You can't say that!" She screamed, making him gaze up at her again. "You can't say something like that! If… If you killed someone…then you have to have had a reason for it! You have to at least know why!"

"…But…I don't know why." The dark-haired young man insisted, his tears starting to come faster again. "It…it's not something I ever wanted to do! Not ever! I honestly have no idea why I did it! I didn't want to! I just did… I don't know why… I don't know why!"

"You can't just not know why!" Nana persisted harshly, enraged that he would even suggest doing such a thing without reason. "What exactly happened? What made you do it?"

Cooro looked back up at her, fighting with the sobs throbbing in his throat that he refused to let out. He briefly closed his eyes, letting the memories he detested so much spill from his tongue as they washed over him – he at least owed it to her to tell her everything.

* * *

_The sixteen year old Cooro padded along down the stone halls of the storehouse, heavy boxes cradled in his arms. It was like this everyday, ever since the man walking next to him had kindly invited him to stay with his family in exchange for helping with the hardware shop they owned. A slight smile spread across his lips as he continued on – this was the longest he'd ever been able to stay in any one place since he'd started traveling with Catherine._

_He placed the boxes down on the shelves as they arrived in the main room, only a second of rest passing before he heard the man's frustrated voice speak up. "Hey Cooro, would you use your wings and grab me a knife from the opened container on the top shelf, I'm having trouble getting this box open."_

"_Sure!" He grinned. That was another thing he liked about staying there – they knew that he was a +anima, but they didn't mind, he didn't have to hide it._

_Cooro casually let his wings burst from his back, feeling a familiar haze tingle at the edges of his senses. It made him shiver, but he didn't even consciously acknowledge it, having grown used to it as it'd slowly become stronger through the years._

_He flew up and grabbed the knife, landing back on the stone floor to bring it to the man. _

_What happened next was hardly more than a blur, the boy not even realizing what he'd done until he felt the blood hit his face and he heard the man scream._

_He'd driven the knife right through the man's back, piercing him all the way to the stomach. _

_Cooro immediately gasped in horror, instantly yanking the blooded blade back out… but it was already too late. The man fell limply to the floor, not breathing even as the boy screamed out his name and frantically struggled to rouse him in vain._

_The crow +anima didn't feel like he could even move, his own throbbing, pounding heart sounding in his ears as he gasped in his breath. The haze swam violently in his head, twisted in a terrifying sense of satisfaction and pleasure as he looked at the corpse with wide, horrified eyes. It threatened to overtake and break his consciousness, starting to take over his thoughts. _

_A woman suddenly burst through the hall and into the room, having heard the screaming from where she was working. She came to an abrupt halt as she caught sight of her husband lying limp and stained in red on the floor._

_She let out a wail of her own, but it was cut short – a quick, sharpened blade of air tearing through the hall and slashing the woman right through the chest. She was dead, on the ground in another lifeless heap. _

_Cooro watched her fall with mouth agape. He felt like he was watching through the eyes of someone else – the part of him that the haze in his mind possessed feeling another horrible rush of satisfaction while the part of his consciousness that was free filled with horror, fear, and grief, unable to change what was going on or even control his own body._

_What was happening? It felt like a dream, like some horrible nightmare. He didn't even know what it was he'd just done, but that man and his wife were dead – he'd killed them. Without even thinking, he'd killed them. What had he done? This wasn't him! What had he _done_?_

_At the edges of his consciousness, he could hear someone scream and call out his name, but he'd already started falling to his knees and onto the floor, smearing more crimson across his clothes as he landed near the man. _

_He didn't feel like he could even open his tightly shut eyes, but as the two assistants dashed up to him, the sharpness of his senses returned, another strange, unexpected wind blade rising from above him and cutting right through each of them. He didn't even know what he was doing, but he couldn't stop! He couldn't stop, even as more blood splattered over him from the two falling workers. _

_More people surged in after that, the other three assistants sent down to the floor in flames as strange, blue fire erupted from his palms._

_Cooro himself screamed as he watched them burn, gazing in wide eyed, shocked horror at what he'd just done._

_He didn't even notice the arrow until it pierced all the way through his chest, sticking out from the torn flesh in his back. This time the crimson that dotted the floor was from his own body. His hands instinctively flew to the part of the arrow that protruded from his chest as he cried out in agony , but it had torn right through the area where his heart would be – if he tried to pull it out, he'd completely rip through his own heart in the process. _

_It was the man's brother, Rissel, a guard visiting from Astar, that hovered over him – one of two other officials who had appeared from down the hall during the chaos. Rissel's eyes were full of horror and hatred as he stared at the scene and the only person left alive, but the stiff, shocked limbs of both him and the other guards gave Cooro just enough time to run. _

_With the arrow still in his chest, he flew passed the guards and down the hall, instinctively trying to flee the scene as he escaped the storehouse and dashed over the green, summer hills of Kite. _

_Tears fell from his eyes, the boy hardly able to believe what'd just happened, the horrible things he'd just done. He'd ruined everything! He'd ruined his own life! He could never live normally, not after that! Why? He'd never wanted to hurt anyone! Why had he just…?_

_His vision wavered, his body weakening as crimson continued dripping from his chest and his injured heart fought to keep beating. Blood started to spill over from his mouth, the boy suddenly dropping out of the air and landing with a dull thud against the grass. _

_Cooro just lay there helplessly, red fluid starting to compete against the vibrant green beneath him. He was dying. _

_He closed his eyes, his face wet as the confused, horrified tears kept coming. …It looked like it'd be over soon, anyway._

* * *

"It was Catherine who saved me after that." Cooro finished solemnly. "She found me there in the fields, and she healed me with some strange power of her own. But I'll never forget the way she smiled when realized what'd happened. She told me she was proud of me…"

He shook his head regretfully. "To this day, I still don't know quite what happened, or why… But ever since then…I've always been afraid I would do it again… I've been afraid of myself…" He forced down a few breaths, trying to calm himself down enough to speak.

Nana remained silent, her eyes still wide and horrified. She swallowed hard. Afraid…of himself?

"All that I do know…is that it had something to do with my +anima…and with Catherine." Cooro suddenly continued, unable to stop himself now that he'd finally let the memories and thoughts he'd tried so hard to keep hidden escape from his lips. "Sometimes…when I used my +anima, something would happen inside of me. It was like a haze would start controlling my head – I would get these horrid, frightening desires and urges that didn't even feel like mine, and it linger afterwards in my dreams and in my mind. It…got worse with age. I never thought much of it before, or even consciously identified it…but…I should've…I shouldn't have just ignored it for so long! …I was in my +anima form when I…when I killed them… I know it had something to do with what happened… That was why I promised myself I'd never use my wings again after that day… I thought that if I kept my +anima hidden, if I pretended like it was gone, that maybe it really would just go away… And if that happened, I hoped that maybe I could escape from what I'd done, that I could be normal again…but I was wrong. Catherine would never let that happen."

He paused, struggling to organize his scrambled, troubled thoughts. "I think she somehow used her own vitality to heal me that day – afterwards, even though she wasn't injured like I was, she was the one left helplessly on the field. I ran away while I could. I knew that what happened was partly because of her. When I started traveling with her, she'd tried to keep me from becoming close to anyone else, but yet she'd let me stay with them – she'd known what I was going to do, and for whatever horrible reason, it was what she wanted. I still don't know what it is she wants with me, but she's followed me ever since that day…and I've kept on running."

Cooro suddenly stopped, painfully biting his bottom lip as water kept dribbling down his neck. "I get sick around her presence." He explained briefly. "Being around her for some reason makes the haze in my head worse, and makes me want to use my +anima…it hurts if I try to fight it. That's why I was ill back at the fortress…" His voice trailed off after that. How could he possibly put what he was going to say next? He spared a quick, apologetic glance up at Nana. "But what's even worse…is that she kills all the time. She truly is a murderer! Even though I haven't done anything like that for the last three years…people are still dying just because I'm alive! She chases after me, and wherever I go, people end up dead because of her! That's why I had to leave Taru and the others every time she started catching up – so that nothing would happen to them… She already killed Yumea…" A bitter, resentful smile appeared across his face, a few more ironic tears falling from his pained, haunted eyes. "In that way…I guess I really am kind of like a messenger of death…"

His voice trailed off for a moment, before he hesitantly continued. "I know everyone thinks I do nothing for myself at all…but in reality I'm horribly selfish! I wanted to be with you and others, but I put you all in danger, both from me and from Catherine… I was being honest when I said you'd all be better off without me… And…" He looked away from his companion, fresh, salty droplets of water continuing to stream down his cheeks. "I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry! What happened to Niomi is because of me! If I hadn't stayed so nearby, Catherine wouldn't have come there…and she wouldn't have been killed…"

He heard Nana's gasp without looking up, wincing as he stared back at the ground.

"You mean it's… It's all because I let you stay that night?" The girl sputtered, her voice trembling. "It's because of that decision of mine that Niomi died! That I lost everything!" She took a few steps back. "…I'm such an idiot! I'm so stupid! It's all my fault! It's my fault that Niomi was killed!"

"What?" Cooro suddenly whipped back to face her, taken aback. "No! Nana, it's not your fault! It's mine! I never should've agreed! I probably shouldn't ever have even asked to stay outside in the orchard – that was already too close… It was selfish and foolish of me to even hope that nothing would happen when I knew she was close by! But…please believe me when I say I'm sorry! I'm _so_ sorry! I never wanted anything like that to happen! I –"

He was interrupted as a hand slapped roughly across his face, sending him down to the floor on his back with a thud.

"You bastard!" Nana screamed, her voice filled with rage and her eyes filled with tears. "You really are a monster! I wish you'd never shown up by my door!" She whapped her hand violently across his cheek again. "I'm such an idiot for letting you in! Why didn't I send you away? I don't know you! I don't know who you are! I traveled with you for a short time when we were kids, that's all! People aren't the same when they get older, and become what they really are – you were nothing more than a complete stranger to me when I found you outside my door! I should never have let you in! I just invited a psychotic murderer into my house! And look what came of it – Niomi is dead, and I've lost everything! I hate you! I _hate_ you!" She gave him one last blow, racking her hand across his face with all her might.

There was another stretch of silence after that, Nana panting for breath as she watched Cooro struggle to push himself back off the ground.

Their eyes meet as he sat back up. Both of their gazes were filled with intense pain and regret, the moment stretching on for longer than either of them realized. Cooro placed one hand on a swelled, bleeding bruise on his cheek that'd been added to the ones Rissel had left earlier, fresh tears running down the fingers on his face.

He'd lived in agony for the last three years…but being with Nana and the others, people who actually cared about him, had brought back a delicate sliver of happiness to his heart. But now that was broken, too. All of their kindness and warmth towards him was based on the past. It was an illusion. Now that Nana had seen him clearly for the first time, this was how she truly felt about him. He ran his fingers along the throbbing bruise, feeling the skin torn from her fingernails and the small droplets of blood dribbling down his cheek.

He sobbed, his anguish finally overcoming him and taking away his ability to speak as he wept, succumbing to everything he'd kept bottled away in his heart and memory.

Nana just turned away, walking to the opposite end of the prison without looking back as his wails hit her ears. She collapsed in the corner, hugging her knees tightly to her chest as she leaned against the wall with her back turned, water dampening her own cheeks.

* * *

Cooro pressed limply against the back of the prison, his body exhausted and achy from crying. He didn't even now how much time had passed… How much closer it was until the next day's dawn…

He looked up absently at Nana. The girl still had her back turned, leaning against the grimy, stone boarder herself. He couldn't tell whether she was asleep or not…but it didn't matter, she didn't want to have anything more to do with him now… A hollow, empty pain throbbed in his heart, causing another droplet of water to fall from the eyes he'd thought had long since run out of tears. Nana…

_People aren't the same when they get older, and become what they really are – you were nothing more than a complete stranger to me when I found you outside my door!_

What they really are… Just _what_ was he, anyway? Everything he'd thought he'd known about himself had been shattered that day, and he'd never found himself again after that. In the end, it looked like he'd die without ever even knowing who he really was.

In a sense…the truth was he'd already been dead for the passed three years. He'd died that day, too – he'd murdered himself along with the others. He'd been left an empty shell after that. His heart still beat and breath still entered his lungs, but he was hardly more than a living corpse.

Even if Catherine _had_ left him alone after the incident, he never could've lived a normal life, not after that… The guilt had destroyed him. He hated himself. He could never feel any differently after the horrible things he'd done, and the way that more people kept dying wherever he went – it wouldn't have been right for him to care about himself at all.

And yet he'd wanted to live. As selfish as it was, he'd wanted to live. He'd tried to ignore himself – he'd started fading away, not doing anything for himself other than what he needed to do to survive…but those things, he'd always done. Even after everything, he'd still clung to life.

But now it was over.

Regardless of how he'd still tried to survive, he'd never really felt he had a right to fight for his life after taking those of so many others. Because of that, he'd always thought he'd accept death when it finally came, but…it was different, sitting in that cell as the minutes slowly passed. It gave him too much time to think.

This was all his life had ever been. The only thing he'd ever become. In some secret place in his heart, he'd always maintained a small, unbreakable flicker of hope that things would change one day, as time passed. That he'd find a way to put to rest what happened, and find a place for himself, after all. But now, even that could no longer burn. This was the end of his life – he'd be dead after dawn…there were no hopes or possibilities left.

_Cooro looked down as Nana gingerly took the scarf she'd made for him back out of his hands, gently lifting it up and tying it loosely around his neck herself. "I have to go now, but be strong, all right? I'm sure you'll be happy! You'll have a bright future, too!"_

"…_Do you really think so?" He looked back up at the girl who was about to leave, meeting her directly in the eyes._

_Nana just beamed, a grin coming across her face. "I know so!" She answered confidently, stepping back as Cooro distractedly fingered the scarf that'd been placed around his neck. _

You'll be happy, too…

He'd kept so much from her, but that had been her lie to him.

He subconsciously found his hands reaching up for his neck, the texture of soft, worn yarn tickling his finger tips. He was still wearing the scarf. He'd never taken it off after having found it again. Nana still had the one he'd made for her tied around her neck, too…probably because she'd felt obligated to after he'd kept his on. Thinking about what she'd said when she'd first made it for him, though, and about how things had just shattered between them, made it seem ironic that he should be wearing it now…

A few more tears started to dampen his face again, Cooro all at once deciding to try to get his feet.

His frail figure swayed and shook as he tried to lift himself off the floor, carefully evening out the weight to both of his legs as he fought to find balance. He winced as a slight throbbing awoke in his right ankle, but he still pressed it determinedly against the ground, undeterred.

He took a step, stumbling forward and holding out his arms for balance as he carefully moved his feet along the grimy floor, managing to stay standing. He took another step, and another, until he was out in the middle of room.

Nana shuffled at the sound of movement, slowly shifting her head around towards him.

Her eyes opened wider as she saw Cooro standing in the center of room – nothing to hold onto, no guards dragging him from behind – just his own two feet supporting his weight.

"Cooro!" She blurted out, not thinking. "What are you doing? You shouldn't be…" She regretted speaking as soon as the words left her mouth, cursing the concern that automatically appeared in her voice.

The dark-haired young man turned his gaze to face her, only his tears belying the grin on his face and the casual, excited tone in his voice. "Look, Nana! I can walk again! It still hurts a little…but I'm finally getting better!" The water welling underneath his eyes kept falling, dampening his cheeks once more. "…Perfect timing, huh?" A bitterness crept back into his words.

Nana couldn't help biting her bottom lip. Right…he'd be nothing more than a corpse come the next morning – even though he was now finally able to, he'd never walk again.

Cooro turned away before she could say anything else, walking slowly and carefully up to the front of the cell. He just stood there, leaning his head against the bars.

A quiet muttering left his lips, catching Nana's attention. She'd heard him speak the same muffled, quiet words every so often earlier, but had never been able to make out what they were. She discretely let her bat ears appear, all at once realizing what it was he was speaking as she listened to the words.

It was a prayer. A plea for forgiveness. Of course…Cooro had been raised in a church, after all.

She looked back up at him as he ended with a sob, looking longingly at the stairwell of the basement he'd never leave alive.

Damn it! What was this? Why did it hurt so much when she looked at him like that? Why did she want to go take him into an embrace and comfort him? Why did she want to save him?

Her anger and horror was still there, but it wasn't the only thing she felt. Her emotions were a mess.

_It doesn't matter what happened to you… It doesn't matter what happened three years ago… We'll still care about you._

The words she'd spoken to him only a little under two weeks ago echoed through her mind. They were true. Even if she didn't want them to be.

Even after everything he'd told her, she still couldn't see the face of a murderer as she stared at him – all she could see was the familiar face of her old friend.

It wasn't just because of the memories they shared. She been shocked, and mad at him before – when she found out he'd been hiding his +anima, when she'd seen his deadly, inhuman abilities inside the mine, but… Even though she'd always been able to tell there was something wrong with him, even though he hadn't always been easy to deal with…he'd also been gentle and kind, and with just a hint of his old innocence that would show up from time to time. He'd had an unexpected determination, too, that would manifest when it was most needed – he'd saved her life more than once. And her warmth had meant so much to him…it'd made her own heart feel warm, as well. …She still didn't understand. How could he possibly be a killer?

The sound of footsteps from up above broke her reverie, both her and Cooro's attention diverted to a light that appeared at the top of the staircase before disappearing with a click. They watched a single guard pad down the hall towards the cell, a blanket and a small bag in hand.

A few seconds later, the man pulled out a key, pushing open the door. "Move it, boy!" He ordered, shoving Cooro away from the entrance, almost knocking his unsteady form over. "Stay away, this is for the girl! We need to keep her alive for a while." He tossed the blanket as far as he could into the cell, along with the bag, a couple of oranges and an apple spilling from it as well as an old, discarded sandwich.

He glared at Nana for a moment, waiting for her to come claim the items. She hesitantly got up and gathered them, Cooro watching motionlessly.

She went back and sat down again as the man left, placing the bag of food beside her and spreading the blanket out over her lap.

It was definitely cold, the autumn chill almost giving way to one that was more like that of winter. Even in a place like that horrible basement, she could still feel it.

She looked up at Cooro again as he went back to staring out of the cell, noticing for the first time that his frail form was shivering in the chill. She just sighed, biting her lip. "Cooro… This blanket's big enough for the both of us. Why don't you come over here, and I'll share it with you?"

The boy turned back over to her, blinking in surprise. He hesitated after a brief, initial moment of amazement, searching her eyes, as if afraid to believe she truly meant it.

"It's all right…" Nana announced quietly. "I'm not going to hit you again… Just come sit down."

"A…are you sure that's okay? With you…I mean…?" Cooro sputtered timidly, already taking a few slow, anxious steps towards her before stopping a set distance away.

Nana just nodded. "It's big…" She repeated, referring to the blanket. "It won't make any difference to me."

With that, the crow +anima cautiously approached, gingerly sitting down against the wall beside her and pulling the loose part of the blanket over his own lap after another moment passed. He shuffled as far away from the girl as he could, keeping his legs tucked in close and his head tilted away, as if worried that the nearness of his presence was upsetting or disturbing her.

He fiddled absently with the quilt, rubbing his fingers across it. It was scratchy and torn, but it was indeed warm, already taking the chill out of his cold legs, including his slightly throbbing right ankle. "…Thank you…" He piped up gratefully with eyes set blankly on the ground, still shocked she'd even let him sit so close after what'd happened earlier and what he'd told her.

Nana decided not to answer, simply reaching down and pulling out the sandwich from the bag the guard had left. She'd just absently taken her first bite when Cooro's stomach let out a well timed growl.

The young woman turned back to face him again, a slight, flustered blush coming across his features.

"Here." She offered, moving her sandwich in front of his face. "Take part of it."

"Huh? N…no… No, I can't!" Cooro sputtered, finally moving his gaze back towards her in surprise. "You need it more than I do… You're than one that has to survive. My stupid body just hasn't realized it's useless yet… It doesn't matter if I'm hungry – I'll be dead in just a few hours, anyway…"

"But you're alive right now…" Nana pointed out, thinking about how badly her stomach ached for food. "There's no reason you should have to suffer…"

"No… It's okay, Nana." The boy just shook his head. "I don't really think I could eat right now, anyway…"

The girl paused for a moment, before turning and pulling the apple out of the bag. "Then…why don't you just have a few bites of this apple? They're your favorite, aren't they? The oranges are enough fruit for me, I don't need it. It's not much, but…maybe it will tide you over until…" She abruptly stopped speaking, realizing where her words were leading. She bit back the rest of the sentence, holding the fruit out in place of the sandwich. "Just take it, okay?"

Cooro just stared at the apple for a moment, passing Nana another questioning glance before taking the red, round fruit in his hands, where he continued to gaze down at it. The girl smiled weakly, before turning back and starting on her sandwich again.

The crow +anima ran his fingers across the smooth, shiny surface of the apple. It had a slight bruise – probably why it'd been discarded – but other than that looked surprisingly fresh for something given in a prison. He couldn't help but take a bite, savoring the flavor of the crisp fruit as it hit his tongue in spite of himself. "Thanks…again, Nana…" He started, distractedly wiping the juices dripping down his chin. "You know that…I really am sorry, right…? So, _so_ sorry…"

Nana just nodded, not saying anything as her gaze turned further back towards the wall.

"I know that you hate me now, but…" Cooro continued quietly. "I'm still really happy that I got to see you again! N…not that I'm happy about anything that happened to you! N…no!" He sputtered, quickly correcting himself. "I…I mean, it's just that…being with you made me feel a little more like I did before. I started to feel alive again… Thank you… Thank you so much!" He dropped the apple as he automatically brought both hands to his watering eyes, the sobs threatening to return and overtake him once more.

"Cooro… I…" Nana answered solemnly, her gaze on the ground as she searched for the right words. "I just want you to know that I've forgiven you, now… I don't hate you…not really… What you did was absolutely horrible! But…I know that you actually aren't a bad person…I know that, because you suffered, too. What you did…what happened to people like Niomi… It tore you apart… And for that to have happened, you have to have a kind heart… I believe you when you say that you're sorry…when you say you never wanted anything like this to happen… I still don't understand everything… Or anything at all, really… But…it's like I said before, I'll always care about you. I'll always think of you as my friend…"

It felt weird to be saying that after slapping him in the face just a short while ago, but…she did believe what she was saying. And…now that she'd calmed down, she didn't see anything wrong with giving her troubled, anguished childhood friend any peace in his heart that she could in what was probably his final hours.

"…Nana…" Cooro was leaning in closer, tears dribbling down his cheeks as he stared at her in amazement. He was left silent, unable to get any other words to form on his tongue. "…Thank you… Thank you… Nana…"

She'd forgiven him… A warmth welled even through the hopelessness in his frightened, defeated spirit. She would probably never know just how much that meant to him…

The girl closed the distance between them just slightly, scooting a few more feet towards her dark-haired companion as he sat there, trembling and crying.

It was a few minutes later when Cooro finally found the voice to speak up once more, the boy aware that dawn was growing increasingly nearer. "I…hate to ask this again…" He piped up, trying to steady his shaky voice. "But…just one last time… When you see them again, will you not tell Husky or Senri about any of this?" He said it so surely, as if it was a certain thing that Nana would be reunited with their other two companions. "You know…about what I did? ...I just…don't want them to remember me like that… And could you tell them that I was still sick like I was at the fortress…that I just quietly passed away in my sleep, too?"

"…Okay. I will…don't worry." Nana nodded reassuringly, understanding.

"And…would you do me another favor, as well?" Her companion asked softly, moving his gaze away again.

"What is it?" Nana inquired, trying to follow his eyes even as they fell downcast.

"…After I'm gone…could you just pretend that you never met me again? That when we said goodbye in Iseem those eight years ago, that it really was the last time? I don't want you to remember me like this…either… If you could just make yourself believe that I'm alive and happy somewhere…that would be closest it could ever come to being real…" He turned back towards her as he finished, trying to force a bittersweet smile across his trembling lips.

Nana met his gaze, trying to return the expression. "…All right."

She spoke the words, but she knew it was a promise she'd never be able to keep. She would never be able to forget. Even as she stared at him then, she knew the face of the troubled, broken Cooro would haunt her forever.

"Nana…I think I'm just going to try to sleep now… Thinking about everything for too long only makes it worse…" Cooro decided, scooting a few inches closer to her again. She just nodded.

The boy closed his eyes as he fought back a few more tears, all at once clasping Nana's shirt with his scared, trembling fingers. The girl stiffened slightly as he suddenly leaned up gently against her body instead of the wall, resting his head down near the base of her neck.

He opened his eyes again and looked back up at her, both of their faces slightly red. "Umm… I… Is it okay if I lean on you like this?"

Nana hesitated for a moment, still slightly surprised, until she realized just how much he was trembling, and how quickly the heart that she could feel against her own chest was beating. He was afraid… Of course he was…he knew what was going to happen to him in just a few hours… "…Sure." She answered, trying to keep the edges of her lips upturned.

He returned the small smile, burying his face in her shirt. Despite everything, he felt a warmth come into his scared, throbbing heart. Somehow, being near her always soothed his spirit in a way that nothing else could.

A silent moment passed, before his features suddenly become even redder, highlighting his other wise pale skin with dark pink. "C…can I tell you one more thing?" The boy asked nervously. "Even though it's something I know you're not going to want to hear?"

The young woman gave him a bewildered glance. "What?" She just shrugged – nothing he could say now could surprise her anymore.

"I love you…Nana…" Cooro admitted softly, closing his eyes again as soon as he spoke. He didn't need to see her face – he could hear her take in a startled breath, and feel her heartbeat quicken in her chest as her muscles tensed.

"…It's all right." He started again, before the moment stretched out uncomfortably long. "You don't have to say anything. I just wanted to tell you, that's all… It…was my last chance…"

He fell completely silent after that, letting his exhaustion overcome him as he leaned up against her.

"Oh…Cooro…" The tears finally started to fall from Nana's eyes a few minutes after he'd drifted off to sleep, her companion not hearing her wails as she cried for him.

This couldn't be happening! Not like this!

It was strange… The four of them had always considered it eight years ago when they'd been the closest, but… Even despite all of the horrible things she'd heard, the thought of losing Cooro now had become almost unbearable… Why…?

She didn't know. All she knew was that her heart was broken. That she didn't want this to happen.

Nana suddenly remembered the promise she'd made in abandoned mine – the thought stabbing her with a fresh tinge of sorrow and regret.

The girl took her sleeping companion in her arms, pressing him against her tighter as she wept. "I'm sorry, Cooro… I wasn't able to keep my promise… I can't save you…"

She wanted to. When dawn came, she would do everything she could – screech, fight, try to keep them away from him – but in reality, she knew that it would all be useless. She wasn't strong enough. She couldn't save him. There was nothing she could do. Nothing, no matter how much she wanted to stop this from happening.

The young woman could feel his chest rise and fall in her arms, his heartbeat fluttering against her own…it was hard to believe that, in the morning, someone would be coming to end those steady rhythms forever. She held him tightly with sweaty, desperate fingers, not wanting to let go.

Nana kept crying, leaning her own head against his as her aching neck refused to hold it up anymore. Her tears spilled down her face, dribbling onto Cooro's dark hair before finally falling down to the floor beneath them, as the remaining minutes of that agonizing night ticked slowly but mercilessly on by.

* * *

_Well...that's it for this chapter _– _stay tuned for the arrival of dawn in the next one, and please review!_


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Black And Red

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_Finally, here's the next installment!_

_This one's still pretty…intense, I guess you could say, and possibly a bit confusing_…_but things do finally start settling down again for a while after this._

_Anyway, on with the sixteenth full chapter!_

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: **Black And Red

* * *

Cooro awoke to the sound of shuffling from the floor above, the distant echoing stirring his senses and causing his gaze to open.

His eyes quickly stretched wider, a moment passing before he even realized where he was. It was somewhere cold and dark…a warm weight leaning against his frail form. He stiffened in surprise as he realized the weight was Nana's.

That's right. He'd somehow managed to fall asleep, his own body against her warm shape. Now, though, one of her arms was wrapped around his back, and another hung loosely from around his shoulders in her sleep, with her head pressed limply against his. He stayed like that for just a moment longer, listening to the sound of their hearts as they beat beside each other. He wanted to enjoy the closeness for as long as he could.

As the muffled, horrible sound of voices rose from somewhere above, he slowly lifted his head, carefully letting Nana's rest on his shoulders. There were dried tears running down from her closed eyes, trails of water staining her delicate face. She'd been crying. Feeling his own gaze start to dampen, Cooro gently ran his fingers along her cheeks, wiping the stains away as memories of the night before drifted through his mind.

It was the sound of a door slamming from the entrance to the basement that snapped him away from the moment, his hand freezing in place. He started to tremble, his breath catching in his throat. The lump of disbelief and dread eating at his heart rushed through him again in a wave, making both his body and spirit feel sick as it attacked with renewed, deathly vigor.

It was time. They were coming.

"Nana…!" He whispered in desperation and fear, his shaking fingers all at once clinging to the clothes covering her neck. He hadn't wanted to wake her…to make her go through this with him, but his terror overcame his will. He held tightly as he buried his face back into her shirt, his trembling figure pressed firmly against hers.

The young woman stirred at the slight jerk, her confused eyes slowly opening. "…Hmm…?"

She didn't have time to be bewildered, though, instantly remembering what was going on when she saw the dark silhouettes of a group of guards descending the stairs. She gasped, suddenly tightening her grip on her companion as well. No! It must have been dawn. They were coming for him. They were coming to take him away!

"Cooro…!" She breathed, hardly able to believe what her mind was telling her was going to happen. It felt like some horrible dream. An awful nightmare, where she would suddenly open her eyes and find herself away from that sickening prison and those cruel guards. But she knew that was just a desperate wish, each footstep the men took echoing loudly in her head no matter how much she willed them to stop, to just disappear. She didn't want this to happen… She realized now that the point she imagined herself waking up from the nightmare had changed – it wasn't back at her house on the orchard any more, but back at the fortress, just before Cooro had started getting ill. …All four of them, together… She didn't want this to happen! This wasn't right!

The boy said nothing as they neared, instinctively shuffling away from the approaching silhouettes until his back hit the wall. All the while, he clung tightly to her, his terrified eyes gazing straight ahead towards the door as his whole body trembled.

There were three men, dressed in dark clothing and carrying grim-looking supplies and weapons at their belts. One of the men stayed back in the hall just outside the cell, readying the noose hanging from the basement ceiling, while the other two silently approached the prison door. "Let's just get this over with…" The one in front mumbled under his breath, pulling out a pair of keys.

Nana abruptly got to her feet, standing protectively over her terrified companion as her wings burst from her back. "_No_! Don't hurt Cooro! You can't do this! You can't _kill_ him! You can't…" She shouted, desperation in her voice as the dampness that'd been brushed off her face started reappearing. "I won't let you! I don't care what reason you have – this isn't right! Leave us alone! Get away from him!"

She let out a screech as the unmoved guards creaked open the door, making the men wince as their hands flew to their ears.

"Little wretch!" One of them cursed, quickly running up and reaching violently for her instead of backing off. Their weapons having been taken as soon as they'd been captured, the girl could do nothing but scrape her fingernails down the man's right arm, shrieking as he swatted her against the wall with his left. He quickly grabbed her before she could recover, covering her mouth as he held her still.

Nana fought frantically, struggling in vain as the other guard roughly reached down and snatched Cooro's left arm. He screamed, desperately trying to pull away and press himself against the wall, but it was useless – he was too weak. The man violently yanked him up, dragging him towards the door. "No! Please… Please stop! Let me go… I'm sorry! I'm _so_ sorry! Please, let me go! Please…"

Tears started falling from Cooro's eyes again as he pleaded for his life, purposely letting his feet drag limply behind as the guard forced him out of the cell. He felt a slight shame in the bottom of his frantic senses – he had committed the crimes, but he didn't want to accept the punishment. Even though he'd taken the lives of several others, he still didn't want his own to end. He didn't want to die! …He'd wanted to be strong now…for Nana's sake as well as his own, but he couldn't even do that… He hadn't wanted her to have to hear him scream.

The man slammed the door to the cell shut as he shoved his victim outside, leaving Nana alone with her own captor. She bit down violently on the guards hand as they forced her companion into the execution hall, shoving herself away from the guard as he flinched and pulled back. "_Cooro_!" She screamed, racing up to the bars and pressing her face and her own watery eyes against the barrier. "Stop it! Stop it!" She screamed at the men, hysteric. "You_ can't _do this! You can't!" She wailed, letting out another screech.

For just an instant, the man let go of Cooro as he the sound made him flinch, the boy immediately trying to get himself away from the guards.

He couldn't move nearly fast enough with his still awkward ankle, the man quickly snatching his arm once more and sending him crumbling helplessly to the floor.

"Cooro!" Nana shrieked again, banging against the bars blocking her from her companion.

"Keep that girl under control!" The guard spat at the one still in the cell. He quickly ran back up and grabbed the girl once more, holding his arm over her face. She bit down a second time, but the man kept his hand in front of her mouth, only wincing as her teeth started piercing his skin.

The man mercilessly yanked the crow +anima back up, pulling him back towards the execution hall. "Don't bother fighting." He muttered coldly as the second guard moved from the noose to grip him as well. "It's useless – don't make this any harder than it needs to be, for both your sake and ours." He paused just slightly, suddenly staring straight down at the frantically struggling Cooro. "Take out your wings." He ordered.

"W…what?" The dark-haired young man sputtered, staring up at the guard as a new hint of alarm appeared in his already terrified, desperate eyes. Nana felt herself flinch as well, startled at the command. His wings…?

The guard just sighed impatiently, placing a hand on one of the knives in his belt. "We have to get rid of them before we can hang you, so you can't use your +anima to interfere. Just let us get this done with quickly…"

Cooro said nothing for a moment, just blinking with wide eyes, before violently shaking his head. "N…no…! No! I won't… I won't! Don't make me… You can't! If you do…I'll –"

He'd been feeling the effects of using them just once ever since that night on the crumbling mountainside. He'd started having horrible nightmares again, the haze threatening his mind renewed and revitalized, even in his normal form. If he used his wings a second time…he knew he wouldn't be able to fight it off. That terrified him, even more than the noose dangling a few feet ahead. He wouldn't lose himself, not now!

"You'll what, wretch?" The man mocked, taking Cooro's words as a threat rather than a warning or plea. "Don't make this difficult! Just do it!"

"No!" The boy insisted, gazing up at the guard defiantly.

Without warning, the man pulled one of the ropes from his belt, usually only meant for restraint, and racked it across the +anima's back. Cooro shrieked in pain, Nana's own shocked screams muffled as she watched him fall back down to the grimy floor.

"Look, scavenger…if you cooperate this will be as painless as possible, but if you refuse you'll get a head start on hell." The guard warned, holding up the rope threateningly as the young man gazed back up, drops of crimson already starting to soak through the back of his shirt.

"No… I won't!" He persisted unwaveringly. "If you can't hang me, then get rid of me some other way! I don't care what you do to me! Stab me, choke me, sever my neck – I won't use my wings! I _won't_!"

The guard just frowned in frustration, whipping the rope across Cooro's back twice more.

Nana's already huge eyes widened in horror as her companion's cries echoed through her head, her teeth biting even harder into the palm of the man holding her. Cooro! _What_ were they doing? This was inhumane!

In the back of her mind, she recognized grimly that the reason the guards insisted on doing it this way was probably because of research – they likely wanted his wings…which they wouldn't be able to obtain if he died in his human form. They wanted to make sure to get them first. Her stomach twisted, the thought making her feel sick.

"Stop it!" Cooro screamed again. "You can't make me! I won't!"

The man just whipped him again, the rope racking across his face and neck this time. The crow +anima struggled to get up and move away, but the whip scraped across him once more, knocking the wind from his lungs. A few droplets of blood flew from his mouth as he coughed and gagged, a sliver of crimson starting to spill over his lips as he collapsed onto the cold, sticky stone floor.

"Don't! Get away from him!" A horrified female voice screamed, the guard with his arm held over the hysterical Nana's mouth finally unable to stop himself from pulling away in pain. "This is horrible! This isn't human! Stop! You can't do this! It's too cruel! Cooro… Cooro! _Stop_!" She let out another screech, but this time the guard behind her still managed to grab her again, forcing her silent once more as she fought and bit.

Cooro opened his eyes again at the sound of Nana's voice, still looking back up at the guards defiantly. "…It doesn't matter what you do… I won't use my +anima. You'll kill me like this first, if you keep trying…"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" The first guard spat in impatient rage. "Why do you care so much?" He smacked the rope down again, letting it pelt against Cooro's frail figure.

"No! I won't! Stop! Please stop!" He begged, screaming in pain. The man didn't, continuing to rack the whip against the boy even harder as he pleaded. The crow +anima didn't even cry out anymore as the strikes kept coming, blood continuing to spill from his mouth as he struggled and rasped for air, the attacks still beating against him.

Tears streamed down Nana's eyes in horror as she clamped her eyes shut, unable to watch. Her whole body jerked with each sharp crack of the rope that sounded, the echo of the whip crashing against her frail companion's flesh twisting her heart. Why? What was going to happen was bad enough, why did it have to be like this? Cooro was suffering, but even still he didn't want to use his wings – what he looked at as the cause of what he'd done. He really was sorry… _Cooro… Cooro! No! Please stop! No… _She wanted to scream, but the words wouldn't come out – the guard's hand pressed stubbornly against her mouth again. But even that didn't stop the sobs from ripping through her body, the water only falling faster down her cheeks in horror and disbelief.

"Wait! Hold on!" The second guard, who had been mostly silent, suddenly shouted, signaling for the first man to stop. "He's too weak…if you keep on, you really will kill him…and we have orders not to do away with him until we have specifically obtained his wings." He reminded, confirming Nana's suspicions about their motives.

The first man frowned in frustration, suddenly reaching down and pulling up one of the boy's hands by the wrist, and reaching for his knife with the other. "Fine! Then how about we sever all of your fingers, one by one, until your ready to cooperate?"

"I don't care." Cooro insisted, gazing back up at the man with eyes full of resolute determination even through his weakness. "It's not like I'll need them if I'm dead, anyway…"

No matter what the pain, he could endure it. It wouldn't last long. Regardless of what they did, his frail body wouldn't survive through much more torture. He had no escape. He would do his best to be strong now, and wait for his weak form to break completely.

The guard gritted his teeth, completely losing his temper as he searched for a way to get his task done. He was about to unleash another round of curses and threats, when the sound of laughter coming from the direction of the cell made both the two officials and the +anima turn their gazes around in surprise.

A devious smile spread across the face of the man holding onto Nana, the girl's own hand suspended in the air as he clutched her wrist tightly. "Then how about we do that to this pretty little girl instead?" He mocked teasingly with a voice like ice, already reaching for a knife from his belt.

Cooro gasped in shock, his eyes stretching wide in horror. His trembling, red-stained figure tensed, more tears starting to dribble down to his neck. "Y…you can't do that!" He sputtered desperately. "You're not supposed to hurt her!"

"We agreed to keep her _alive_." The man clarified. "We never decided anything about leaving her unharmed."

For a moment, Cooro was absolutely silent, his watery gaze meeting Nana's own. They were both completely helpless, unable to stop this. There weren't many options left. But… Nana… No!

"Well…?" The guard prompted, already taking a knife towards one of her fingers. He pressed it lightly against her skin, just hard enough to let a few drops of crimson spill out.

"No! Stop…don't!" The dark-haired young man suddenly shouted, pausing again as he came to an internal decision. His companion was still held completely still, gagged silent. He couldn't let this happen to her, he wouldn't let them hurt her…even if it meant… "Nana…" He met his old friend directly in the eyes. "Please… _Please_ run!"

For a few seconds, Nana wasn't sure what he meant, almost thinking that he was asking her to get away from the guards for him. As much as she wanted to, that was impossible! She realized she was wrong, though, when the determination in his eyes faded into defeat, the boy turning away again.

Cooro hung his head, letting his dark hair fall over his face as his eyes rested blankly on the grim basement floor. He waited for just another moment, as if wishing his life would just give out and take him away from that horrible, cold room. But his breath kept coming, and his heart still fought to beat – he had no other choice… The moment he used his wings, he knew he would lose the battle that would flare up inside of him before it even started. "…Goodbye…" He whispered…one last, salty drop of water running down to his neck before dropping to the floor.

Two huge, dark shapes all at once burst from Cooro's back, the rush of movement disturbing the stagnant air of the basement. A silent moment passed, a few stray black feathers drifting aimlessly across the grim space.

_Cooro… I'm sorry… Thank you… _Nana watched as one fluttered passed her eyes, staring with watery eyes at the suffering old friend that she was about to lose, his beautiful wings spread out behind him just one more time.

The guards just eyed the crow +anima as he brought his wings straight behind his back, never taking his gaze off the ground.

"W…wow!" The second guard outside of the cell sputtered. "Those wings…they're huge!" He suddenly stepped forward, thoughtfully running his fingers along the feathery black shapes. "He looked so sickly and useless, but he's really quite a magnificent specimen! …It's almost too bad we have to kill this one…he would make a good live sample…"

"We have to go through with the sentence as planned." The first man reminded sternly. "We'll keep the wings to study."

"…They aren't quite the same once they're dead, though… And I don't think I've ever even seen another crow +anima!" The second guard sighed. "Oh well… Let's just get this all done with… There's nothing we can do now…"

"Right." The first official nodded. "Let's try not to tear them too much – hold him steady for me while I make the cut…"

The man moved his knife to the base of Cooro's right wing, trying to find the most efficient way to quickly sever it from his back. He held the blade up slightly, ready to bring it down in one powerful slash. "Ready?"

"Yeah…" The other guard agreed, grabbing their prisoner's back with one hand and his wing with the other.

The first man nodded, all at once bringing down the knife.

"Aaaarrgghh!"

Nana slammed her eyes shut as a horrific scream split the air, her own shriek muffled by the arm still covering her mouth.

…It was only a second later, though, that she realized the wail hadn't been Cooro's. Confused, the girl cautiously lifted her eyelids, afraid of what she'd see.

She opened her eyes just in time to watch the man holding to blade fall to the ground, a huge splash of crimson spilling from his chest. He hit the floor with a dull, lifeless thud. Only a moment passed before she realized he wasn't breathing, his eyes still stretched wide in now blank shock. The girl let out a startled, disbelieving gasp. He was dead.

"Wh…what?" The second guard stumbled back as he comprehended what'd just happened, flinching in horror as Cooro slowly turned his gaze towards him.

A sharp rush of air suddenly blasted forward, hitting the man in the chest before he even had time to react. Nana couldn't help but scream, shutting her eyes again as the second man's body fell lifelessly away.

"C…Cooro?" She sputtered, this time her voice sounding as the grip of the final remaining guard started to tremble and drop.

The boy slowly got to his shaky feet, looking over his own hands and features as if in confusion for a moment, before a smile slowly spread across his lips.

At long last… The haze in his head had finally swallowed him up, had finally broken the chain of thoughts and emotions that had clouded and taken over his mind. It'd finally managed to save him. He was free.

He turned around, making Nana gasp in shock as she saw his face.

Those weren't Cooro's eyes. They were the same dark brown and white shapes that'd always rested on his face, but the gaze reflected in them was different. That wasn't even the gaze of human! It looked dead, almost like there was no human soul left in that body.

"…Cooro?" She sputtered again uncertainly, a terrible shiver of sudden fear shooting its way up her spine. He'd stopped the guards… He was still alive… But…

The guard that was still next to her released his grip completely, all at once rushing for the door to the cell. He darted passed the boy as fast as he could, heading straight for the stairs. "H…help! Hel –"

His second cry was cut short as another blade of wind cut through the room, gorging the man in the back. He fell forward face first in a mess of crimson, not moving.

"Cooro…! Cooro, stop it!" Nana screamed, horrified at what she was seeing. "You're already safe – you've already done enough! So stop! Please…stop!"

Her old friend turned back towards her, the young woman flinching as a grin she didn't recognize spread across his features. He shuffled one of his palms, ready to raise it in her direction.

All at once, he faltered, the hand giving a slight, hesitant jerk and an uncertain tremble as his stare met hers.

The sound of a door slamming open echoed through the stairway to the basement, making Cooro flip his gaze back around as more guards surged in through the upper entrance. He passed Nana just one last, brief glare. "Stay away from me, girl!" He ordered, turning his darkened, empty eyes away again. Nana just stared in disbelief, the familiar voice that left her old friend's mouth colder than she'd ever thought she'd hear it.

With that, Cooro gave his powerful, dark wings a few flaps, taking to the air and flying up the stairwell to meet the reinforcements.

Nana closed her eyes as a few more startled screams reached her ears, followed by the sound of silence as the rhythm of her companion's beating wings made its way into the lobby area.

She just stood there in a mixture of confusion, hurt, and absolute shock for she didn't know how long, gazing down in disbelief at the lifeless bodies and red stains spread across the floor as her heart raced in horror.

It…couldn't be… Cooro had done this? She knew what he'd done three years ago, but… She still couldn't understand! More than ever, she couldn't! This…this wasn't him! This wasn't Cooro!

The door already open from the guard who'd tried to dart away, it was the creaking of the cell entrance that finally caught her attention, diverting her thoughts. She balled her palms into fists, biting her lip in determination.

Forcing down an unsteady breath, she all at once spread her own wings and flew forward, hurrying away towards the exit of the basement.

"Cooro!"

* * *

Nana landed shakily in the middle of the lobby area, swaying a bit as her feet touched the floor. She paused for a few seconds in an attempt to steady herself, trying to keep her limbs from trembling.

Still keeping her wings out and ready in case she needed to quickly dash away, she cautiously took a look around, hoping she wouldn't see anymore of what she'd come across on the stairway out of the basement. The sense of nausea returned to her stomach as she noticed a few still shapes on the floor, stains of red seeping from under them. She cringed, hastily moving her eyes away.

Cooro… Why? Why had he done this? He'd said that he didn't want to hurt anyone…

She could understand self defense…but what he'd done to the guards in the basement was already beyond what he would've needed to do to save himself, and this… This was just…

Nana felt a few confused, hurt tears dampen her cheeks, still hardly able to believe what she was seeing.

When Cooro had told her about what he'd done three years ago, it hadn't seemed real to her. She hadn't been able to comprehend that he was truly capable of something like that. A few more salty drops ran down to her neck as an image of his familiar, warm face and timid smile appeared in her head. Even now, she still couldn't see how it was possible…

What should she do?

_Stay away from me, girl!_

His cold, threatening voice echoed through her mind, making the tears fall faster.

What the hell was he doing? If it was just for self defense, he wouldn't have gone this far! And he wouldn't have suddenly forsaken her, he wouldn't have told her to stay away… Why would he do that? After all…just the night before, he'd said…

Nana gave her head a quick shake as a sob jerked her throat, trying not to let her emotions overtake her logic. She couldn't afford that, right now. She had to get out of there!

But…she couldn't just leave him, could she? Regardless of what he'd said or what he'd done, she couldn't just abandon him in that that horrible place! Her heart wouldn't let her…

She didn't know where he'd gone, or even what they were going to do to escape…but she had to find him! There had to be something wrong… The timid, guilt-ridden Cooro she knew now would never have committed the crimes he apparently had those three years ago, or what she'd seen him do with her own eyes just minutes earlier. That wasn't him…he didn't want those things… She knew that, she'd seen in his gaze that he'd meant it when he'd spoken those words. She had to snap him out of whatever was happening to him, she had to stop this!

The bat +anima flew down the hall in front of her, forced to stop when she came across a split in the passage. Frowning in frustration, she was about to try heading down the path to the left when she suddenly heard the sound of movement behind her, quickly spinning her gaze back with a slight jump.

Her heart skipped a beat. There was a silhouette with black wings, standing over one of the motionless figures on the floor.

She instantly raced forward, her pulse pounding fast. "Cooro!"

Her call fell flat though, the girl quickly coming to a halt just seconds later – as soon as she got closer, it was plain to see that the person before her wasn't Cooro. She stumbled a few steps back, staring in surprise at the female figure.

The woman slowly raised her head, her long hair sliding to the sides of her pale face as she turned away from the gruesome sight to look up at her.

Nana flinched for a moment, taken aback. It was…her…! Niomi's killer! The one who'd been following Cooro! Catherine… She quickly balled her hands into fists once more, feeling rage seethe within her.

"_You_!" She growled, her face heating up in anger. "It…it's you…"

Catherine blinked as she recognized Nana, looking genuinely surprised for a few seconds. She quickly regained her cold, purposeful composure, though. The dark-haired young woman raised an eyebrow. "Oh…so he left you standing after all, huh?"

Nana gritted her teeth, her fingernails digging into her palms. "You… What did you do to Cooro? This isn't him! I know he would never do this!" She screamed. "You did something to him! …What's happening now, what he did three years ago… It's all because of you, isn't it? You ruined him! What did you do? What have you done to Cooro?"

The other woman looked thoughtful for a moment, before meeting her straight in the eyes. She hesitated for just a moment longer before speaking. "The truth is…I haven't done anything, just tried to help him break free. This _is_ him. It may not be who you thought, but this is the real being that lives inside that body! This is the real him!"

There was a happiness in her voice that made Nana shiver…she'd never noticed it before, either, but there was also a certain emptiness to Catherine's eyes, recalling to how she'd last seen Cooro's…

"W…what are you talking about?" She sputtered. "I know you did something! If it was just up to him…I know he'd never… T…this… This isn't Cooro!"

"Of course not!" Catherine chimed before she paused, an unexpected solemn tone creeping into her voice as she continued. "The person that you call 'Cooro' doesn't even exist. I warned you of that before…didn't I?"

Nana gasped, suddenly remembering the strange warning that the woman had passed on back at the fortress.

"He was nothing more than an illusion." She continued, not giving the girl a chance to say anything. "The person that you thought was your friend was fake."

"B…but… What're you… I don't understand what you're saying!" Nana spat back. "It doesn't even make sense! He's not 'fake'! Of course's a real person! I know him! I know Cooro! I know this isn't him!"

Catherine blinked, seeming unsurprised by the reaction. "There's no need to shout at me, girl… It's not my fault your heart was deceived."

Nana fell completely silent for a moment, just staring back at the black winged woman. She didn't comprehend anything of what Catherine was trying to say, much less whether or not she believed it, but she could feel her cheeks start to dampen once more, her unsteady eyes reflecting a volatile mixture of confusion, pain, and hatred. "…But –"

"Look at it this way…" Catherine started again, trying to think of a way to explain to this girl. "Think of it as if my brother was under a spell of sorts… A spell that made him act a certain way even it wasn't really real, like a part in a play." Her eyes narrowed. "He was under a false veil of humanity, one so convincing that even he believed it – he clung to it, even as it became ruined and torn. It was a disguise that fooled even him, making him afraid of what was beneath it. Even before when it would almost fall away, like on that day three years ago, he always managed to catch it. But this is different. Now it's finally been lifted…he's finally free!" The thought made the edges of her lips upturn. "The human boy, 'Cooro', was never anything more than a role my brother played, a sort of false personality that kept the real him hidden, even from himself."

Nana took a few steps back, her eyes widening in horror as she slowly started to understand what this bizarre woman was trying to say. A spell…? A role…? A fake personality…? "…No… No… That's not true… That's not true! I…" She shook her head. "I know him now, and I knew him eight years ago! It's the way he's acting now that isn't really him!"

Catherine's gaze never shifted. "Everything that you know or knew is nothing more than a lie. …A lie that you're still trying to believe, even though I'm exposing it to you right now. There is a being there in that body, but the person that you know, 'Cooro', never existed and never will – now that that role has been shattered, it's gone forever. You wasted your time growing to know and care for it."

"That's not true! It can't be!" Nana screamed back, confused tears streaming full force from her eyes again now. "I know that's not true! …What you're trying to tell me was that everything he ever felt or said meant nothing…but I know that's not true! I could see it in his eyes – they were just like those of anyone else! His feelings and emotions are real! It's not all just some lie!" She glared up defiantly, all at once deciding she'd heard enough of this. "I don't believe you! What you're saying is completely insane! He's not your 'brother' or whatever it is you want to call him! He's Cooro! I don't know what's wrong with him…but the Cooro I know isn't gone! I'm going to save him! He's still Cooro!"

She abruptly spun before Catherine could argue, flaring out her wings and taking off down the main hall.

_Cooro… Where are you? What's happening to you? You're still alive…but I know you didn't want this to happen… You're suffering right now, too, aren't you? Please…try to fight it! You aren't as weak as you think you are!_

* * *

Cooro flew through the hallway towards where he assumed the back exit of the guard station would be, his movement continuing to slow as he forced his aching wings to beat.

It wasn't just the station – the whole part of Astar surrounding the prison was heavily secured…and in this condition, he wasn't in the place to face many more of those guards.

Leaving a trail of lost black feathers and sticky drops of crimson in his wake, he struggled to keep pressing forward, wiping the blood from the corners of his mouth as the salty tang spilled over his lips.

He still felt strange, too…not yet used to feeling and thinking the way he did now. The change had been so sudden – the human role he'd been stuck in being ripped away and broken the instant he'd used his wings.

The way he'd felt, the way he'd let himself become so weak, the way he'd wanted so badly to truly be human – for the lie he was living to be real… Recalling it now made him feel sick to his stomach, completely disgusted.

But then…why had he hesitated?

That girl… He'd just left her there, unharmed. Why? He'd had the chance… Why hadn't he gotten rid of her like everyone else? His human emotions were gone, there should've been nothing to hold him back… But…still, he hadn't done it.

She'd meant so much to him, more than anyone else, but now it should mean nothing – all of it should.

_Nana… Husky… Senri…_

What was this? Why did he still feel something in his heart when he pictured their faces? Why was there an aching sense of guilt and pain still lingering in his senses? This wasn't the way it was supposed to be!

A single tear dribbled down his face, the boy quickly brushing it away. No! That worthless shred of humanity he'd been hanging onto was gone – he shouldn't even able to cry anymore!

Cooro coughed, gagging as more salty crimson leaked up into his mouth. Unable to keep his tired wings going any longer, he landed clumsily as he chocked, putting his weight on his feet instead. He winced as pain still welled up from his right ankle, spreading all the way up his leg.

He took a few unsteady steps, trying to walk forward. It hurt, but it was bearable…and he had to get out of there! …He couldn't stay in a place like that. The damage the guards had inflicted on his weak form earlier had taken its toll…

The dark-haired young man cursed his frail body. It was him who'd let it get like that…under the influence of that false humanity. It really was sickening how he'd believed it so much, how pathetically he'd clung to it!

He suddenly coughed again, his unsteady legs threatening to buckle and give out as his whole figure jerked. This time it didn't stop, the crow +anima continuing to gag as he tried to force his throbbing muscles forward.

Cooro started crumbling to the ground, barely making it to the side of a wall where he collapsed, leaning against it as he fought for breath.

It was then that he noticed the sound of approaching wing-beats as they echoed through the hallway in the direction he'd come, making him lift his weak gaze. It opened wider the moment he saw who it was.

"Y…you?" He sputtered, watching a grin appear on the face of the black winged woman as she approached. "…Sister?"

Catherine landed next to him wordlessly, taking a moment just to look him over.

Their eyes met directly, seconds ticking by as the two stared at each other. The slightest hint of fondness materialized in Catherine's eyes, a gentle smile spreading further across her lips. "Brother…I see you feel differently about me seeing me now, don't you?"

Cooro tensed, turning away slightly as memories drifted through his head, making him feel slightly uncomfortable. Catherine, though, just gave a slight, satisfied chuckle.

"Its…been a long time…" She started. "I haven't been able to speak like this with you for a while. How does it feel to be free again? Without the pain? I don't really remember what the change was like anymore…"

The boy hesitated a moment, wondering why that trace of it still lingered in his chest and on the tip of his tongue. "It feels good not to want to try so hard for something that isn't even real… I don't feel so helpless, now."

Catherine nodded. "You're not. Now that you've gotten rid of the pain and accepted what you can do."

The woman gently bent down, watching as another stream of blood spilled from over her companion's lips. "Let me heal you." She offered. "I can't give you all my strength – it won't heal what you've done to yourself over the last few years, but I can keep you alive. I won't lose you again now."

Cooro just nodded. "…Thank you."

He winced as he was met with a light slap across the cheek, reopening his eyes in surprise to a frowning Catherine. "Don't speak like that!" She ordered. "It makes you sound still too human!"

This time he didn't say anything, his eyes falling away. He sat in silence as the woman placed her hands on the two markings on his shoulders, breathing in relief as he felt a new, vibrant energy flow through his veins, healing his wounds and revitalizing his tired limbs.

Catherine, on the other hand, was left panting as she shuffled away, her breathing shallow as she gazed back down at him. "That's all I can safely do…" She announced, waiting for a moment as the rhythm of her lungs slowly started evening out again. "We should leave. Come with me." The woman reached out a hand to help him up.

Cooro was just about to take it when a few new voices piped up from somewhere down the passage, their words echoing indistinctly through the hall.

Catherine groaned, suddenly turning away to look back in the direction she'd come. "More guards… You go ahead and go on, I'll take care of this and meet you further up!"

"But what about you?" The young man insisted. "After all, you just performed a healing…"

The woman just shook her head casually. "I couldn't give you everything – you're still the weaker of the two of us right now. Go on and get going so you'll be safe!"

This time Cooro just nodded, starting to quickly but delicately get up onto his feet, his ankle left unhealed.

"Oh…and make sure you get rid of anyone you come across…including that girl." Catherine chimed, making the boy suddenly freeze.

"She's still trying to find you, you know." The woman added. "But she can't sense you like I can – she took the wrong hall!" A slight tinge of amusement appeared in her voice, before it suddenly became more serious. "…But if you do see her…I take it there won't be any hesitation this time? I admit I was rather surprised when I realized that you'd left her unharmed…"

Cooro didn't answer, giving nothing but another barely noticeable nod before letting his huge wings lift him up and carry him forward.

* * *

"Cooro! _Cooro_!" Nana practically stumbled over her feet as she landed, going straight into a run without pausing as her feet touched the ground. This time she was sure she recognized the figure in front of her.

She'd ended up in a dead end, arriving only at another chamber filled with prison cells. She'd hastily turned back and used another passage that she guessed intersected with the path she hadn't taken before, but she was panting for breath now after flying so fast to catch up.

But she'd found him. Having come out from behind, she was close enough to see his familiar form in detail – knowing that she'd located the right black-winged +anima.

Nana all at once froze as the dark-haired figure in front of her came to an abrupt halt, her heart skipping a beat.

What could she expect to see when he turned around?

The girl still couldn't quite believe all of that bizarre nonsense that killer, Catherine, had spewed, but… She'd seen Cooro do things that she knew her old friend would never do. Disgusting, horrible things! The way he'd acted in the basement truly hadn't been him… How could she possibly explain that?

She'd half expected that Cooro would instantly turn around when she called his name, answering her with a voice and a gaze that seemed familiar… Even if his words trembled or his eyes were frightened and damp, as she'd become so used to seeing them, she would've given anything to see him like that again. But when he slowly shifted his gaze back towards her, it was still strange and empty, void of any emotion she could recognize. Her heart sunk, a cold wave spreading through her whole body. Nothing had changed. Those weren't the eyes of the Cooro she knew.

A moment of stillness and silence passed without either of them realizing it, Nana's horrified, disbelieving stare meeting Cooro's unfamiliar, hollow one.

The young woman subconsciously stumbled back a few steps as a shiver ran down her spine, forcing down a gasp as she realized her tense figure had forgotten to breath. It felt so odd to see him like that, his familiar face suddenly having become so foreign.

"C…Cooro…?" She sputtered, forcing the word to form on her nervous tongue as if she hoped it would snap him back to his old self.

Much to her surprise, the boy winced slightly as the name hit his ears, closing his eyes and angling his gaze slightly away from hers.

_Nana…_

He clenched his hands into fists as memories stirred in his mind again, some part of him that shouldn't exist anymore longing to answer, to run to her arms and lean against her warmth as tears fell from his eyes.

Why did he still feel this? He wondered again, feeling frustration welling up inside of him as well. Why were his human emotions still lingering?

…_But if you do see her…I take it there won't be any hesitation this time?_

She shouldn't have been any different from any regular human to him now – it shouldn't even have taken him this long to due away with that girl and keep moving, yet he was still standing there…doing nothing as her gaze bore into him from behind.

He could feel his limbs start to tremble, a tell-tale pressure welling under his eyes that gave away threatening tears. What was wrong? It shouldn't be this way!

"…I thought I told you to stay away…" Cooro muttered, struggling to steady his limbs and keep away the unwelcome dampness trying to spill from below his gaze. This wasn't right…he couldn't fall into this again! He gave his head a quick shake, dismissing the emotions that flickered within him.

"B…but, Cooro… I… I can't just leave you!" Nana stuttered, trying to keep her voice from breaking. "Come on…stop this! You're still alive, let's get out of here now, together!"

"You're talking to the air, girl…the person you're trying to speak to is gone." The black-winged figure answered simply.

The girl fell silent for a moment. Gone…? The word rang hollowly in her head, empty and confused. She still didn't comprehend any of this, but how could those words leave her old friend's own lips?

"…No! Stop it! Don't talk like that! I don't believe Catherine! It's impossible…you can't just be gone!" Nana screamed, tears starting to fall down her cheeks again.

"The person called 'Cooro' never really existed to begin with…" Cooro himself announced. "That's not who I am, and I'm not fooled anymore. You were just unfortunate enough to get caught up in that lie along with me… Leave – now! Unless you want to end up like all those guards you passed on the way here!"

Nana took a few fearful, disbelieving steps even further back, her limbs shaking. "No… _No_! Cooro!" She wailed, an overwhelming sense of grief suddenly overcoming her. The recognizable form of her companion was still breathing, standing right in front of her, but the words that left his mouth were the truth. She didn't understand it, but she wasn't speaking to her old friend. The person that was hearing her words wasn't the same as the one who'd cried in her arms the night before, the one who had fallen asleep with his scared, trembling body against hers.

"_Cooro_!" The girl cried again, her voice ripped and broken. "No… It's not true! I know you're still here!" She insisted, trying to address someone other than the 'Cooro' staring back at her. "Come back… Please…come back! You can't just be gone…it's impossible! Fight this! Don't you want to stay with me anymore? Don't you want to go back to Husky and Senri? Things can be just like they were before…"

The dark-winged figure didn't answer right away, turning completely around to face her. "You mean nothing to me…" He started slowly, his voice harsh and cold. "None of it does…it was all fake. But now that mask was lifted off me, and it's gone forever. Get out of here – this is your final chance!" He fiddled with his fingers, making the young woman flinch as lights flickered and waned threateningly in his palm.

She lingered a moment longer, staring back up at him in shock as salty droplets left trails on her face. It was when the first sob left her throat that she ran – turning in the opposite direction and charging down the hall without looking back.

How could this be…?

It was all so strange, none of the terrible things she was seeing or being told even made sense – her old friend was gone, replaced by some horrible monster that didn't even seem to be human…

She'd lost him. Even though he'd lived passed dawn, and his heart still beat, she'd lost him.

Memories of her old friend drifted through her mind, dancing pictures and sounds that haunted the edges of her consciousness. They stretched from the very first time she'd met him those eight years ago, all the way to when he'd fallen asleep in her arms the night before…when he'd leaned his head against her chest and told her…

She gave her head a quick shake, trying to jerk off the gathering dampness blinding her eyes.

This was almost worse than losing him to death. At least then, she wouldn't be being told that it all meant nothing. That everything had been a lie. She wouldn't be left feeling like such a fool… Despite the uncertain, delicate relationship they'd had between them, she'd somehow grown deeply attached to Cooro over the last few months…and now she was left with nothing but a throbbing, aching void in her heart.

_I love you…Nana…_

Cooro…

The girl stopped running as her tears veiled the path in front of her eyes, her limbs feeling drained and weak. They refused to move anymore, leaving the girl to lean up against the hallway wall as the sobs continued to come. Her fingers subconsciously ran down the soft edges of the black and lilac scarf that still hung from around her neck, the image of his nervous, smiling face as he gave it to her haunting her memory.

She didn't believe it…that it was all meaningless. The things he'd told her, the smiles he'd passed her…they'd been genuine, they'd been real… She'd been able to see it reflected in his eyes and feel it in his presence. There was nothing 'fake' about them – he'd really felt those things! She knew he had! How could that mean nothing?

He'd also really felt his fears and guilt…

Regardless of whether he'd even completely understood or recognized it himself, deep inside, Cooro had been terrified that this would happen…

…_Goodbye…_

The farewell he'd softly spoken just before bringing out his wings played over again in her head. He'd known what would become of him if he did – it was some sort of trigger. That was why he'd told her to run. He hadn't wanted to hurt her… Had this been the haze in his head that he'd mentioned? The thing that had caused him to commit those horrible crimes three years ago, and had made him avoid using his +anima…was that this other him?

_I don't want to be a monster! I don't want to be a demon! I just want to be human! I just…_

_I… I'm scared, Nana… I'm scared… I don't…I don't want this! Please…save me… Save me…_

Nana let out an angry, heartbroken wail, her sobs echoing painfully and hollowly through the halls.

* * *

"Come on, Senri, this way!" Husky called urgently, leading his single companion along the main passage.

What was going on? What the hell had happened here?

The former guard had carefully found a path through the high security area of the city surrounding the prison station, but when he'd finally reached the building, had found an unpleasant surprise. The officials working there had been slaughtered. Sickening crimson dripped along the walls, the motionless shapes of the unfortunate guards lying twisted across the floor. There was no one from his old squadron, and none of the high ranking officials seemed to be there, but the sight had still filled him with shock and horror.

…Where were Nana and Cooro?

The boat that his lost two companions should've been on had arrived earlier – he'd seen it, docked in the main port of the city. They needed to find them, and get out of there, fast!

He still had a key to everywhere but the basement…and that door had already been open. The two of them had searched the whole building, but so far had found only empty cells, or cells filled with prisoners that were best left alone.

They were moving in the opposite direction, now, heading for the part of the station near the rear exit.

Senri suddenly came to a halt as they passed one of the rooms, a moment passing before Husky noticed and stopped in his tracks. "…What? Senri, what is it?" He was reluctantly to stop right there – two bodies lay splayed across the floor just in front of them, the sight of them sending an unpleasant, nauseous shiver down his spine.

The bear +anima just gestured towards the already partially open door, the silver-haired boy hearing soft voices coming from the opening as he approached it more slowly. The two of them passed each other a brief glance before pushing the entrance all the way, cautiously entering.

They were instantly aware of the dozens of eyes that watched them as they did. Men, women, and children – the room was filled with a mixed assortment of shaky, filthy people, all crammed into a few cells. Those faces all fell silent as they stepped into the room, their nervous voices hushing as they stared in surprise at the new figures.

"…+Anima…" Senri observed quietly, his eyes widening. It didn't take him more than a moment to recognize the environment – it was hardly different than how the +anima had been held in the village where he'd been captured.

Husky's breath caught in his throat, the former guard forcing it down with a hard swallow. He hadn't seen this before. He knew that they'd been capturing +anima in Astar, amongst other places, but he'd never actually seen what they did with them. He felt a renewed guilt for having been a part of it…how could he ever have helped do something so horrible?

"Hey, you!" A man accused right on cue, practically spitting in his face as he leaned close to the bars. "I remember you! You were one of the guards that pulled me away from my home! Go away, get out of here and go get killed out there!" A few other voices murmured in agreement. Apparently, they had some idea that something had happened in the rest of the station.

"E…everyone…" He sputtered, his hands automatically reaching for the keys at his belt. "It's all right… I left the guards – we're +anima, too. We're going to let you out! With the disaster out there, now would be the perfect chance to escape! There's a boat on the southern Astar port – a small, wooden ship – that will take you in. It will bring you the fortress where +anima are gathering by the western sea…"

There was no way he could just leave them – this was his chance to make up for his part in this.

And besides…were Nana and Cooro with them, too? He looked around as he fiddled with the lock, not even paying attention to what the voices of the many surprised +anima were mumbling. If his two lost companions were there, surely they would've recognized him and Senri and made themselves known by now?

The crowd of +anima hesitated for a few seconds as the door swung open, both afraid of what could be going on outside and unable to believe that someone would simply come and set them free.

After the moment of disbelief and fear passed, though, they all at once surged through the tiny door, passing Husky grateful glances as they quickly exited the room. "…Thank you! Thank you so much!" A woman chimed as she passed, her voice joining a chorus of others, but the former guard barely heard them, frantically scanning their faces as they left.

Nana and Cooro weren't there. His heart started racing. What if the guards had already done something to them? What if the note really had been nothing but a trap?

"Hey, sir…" He called out to one man as he passed. "Umm…was there by chance a bat +anima – a girl, eighteen, with long, light-brown hair, and a crow +anima – a nineteen year old, frail, dark-haired boy, here with you?"

The man's eyes widened. "N…no, not here with us! …I don't know about the girl, but there was a boy with black wings that came through this hall just a few minutes ago… H…he…"

Husky passed the man a strange look, bewildered by the fear showing on his face.

"He killed the guards!" A woman finished. "It's not like we feel sorry for them…but… He's a monster! What he did was different than just self-defense! I don't even know how he did it!"

"It happened mostly in the hall, but we still got the gist of it by what we could see through the door…" A younger girl added, shivering.

Husky took a step back, his own eyes widening along with Senri's. "But that's…that's impossible! Cooro would never do that! …It must've been someone else!"

How could that man even have suggested that? Of course, he didn't know him…but there was no way it could've been Cooro who'd done this! His old friend had seemed a bit off ever since he'd seen him again, but still, he knew Cooro – he doubted that the anxious, still slightly naïve boy was even capable of killing! Much less something like this…

He just passed his companion another quick glace, one that was both bewildered and anxious, before running out of the room along with the rest of the +anima, who had already moved on.

* * *

The steady rhythm of beating wings sounded through the hallway as Cooro made his way towards the exit, where he'd wait for Catherine to catch up.

…She would be furious if she realized he'd let that girl go.

He groaned, angry with himself for acting this way. What had come over him? She shouldn't mean a thing to him anymore! Those words he'd spoken should've been true...

"…Cooro?"

He stopped again at the distant calling of the name, stiffing in surprise at the familiar, this time male, voice. He turned to look behind him once more, instantly recognizing the two figures standing a ways down the hall.

Husky…? Senri…? He just blinked in surprise. Those two - what were they doing there?

"Cooro! Cooro, it is you!" Husky called, a huge, almost disbelieving grin coming across his face as he hurried up to the dark-winged silhouette standing further down the passage. "It's really you! You are alive!"

"…Cooro…!" Senri agreed, his gaze filled with equal amazement.

The former guard could hardly believe his eyes – it was a big stretch going from a name on a group memorial to the living figure of his old friend. But it was really him! He knew it! He'd never really believed that he'd been buried under those rocks on the mountainside!

For a split second, Cooro almost wanted to accept the embrace his two companions were running to offer. There was such happiness in that boy's voice… It tempted him to fall back into the roll he'd been playing, to run forward and meet them, resting in their arms with damp eyes. But that wasn't really who he was… He'd already let the girl go, he couldn't spare them too!

He clenched his hands again, already flaring up the strange magic that flickered in his palms.

"Are you all right? What's going on here, Cooro? How did you get out? Where's Nana – she's okay, too, isn't she?" Husky asked breathlessly as he neared. "We came to rescue you – we have a boat waiting that will take us right back to the fortress!"

A blade of wind cut through the air as the dark-haired boy raised his hand, aimed for the legs of the two approaching +anima.

Both Husky and Senri yelped in surprise as it connected, sending them violently down to the floor. It'd hit them at an odd angle and hadn't inflicted much damage, but they quickly looked back up in confusion, not recognizing what had just hurt them.

The former guard immediately froze as he caught Cooro's gaze, a chill rushing through him as his own eyes caught the unfamiliar, cold stare. "Cooro…?"

Another sharpened rush of air ripped through the hallway, Husky maneuvering to the side just in time to avoid getting a gash down his legs. He had to shuffle back frantically before even getting a chance to fully stand back up, barely missing a second attack that slammed into the ground in front of him.

The silver-haired boy stared back up in shock, Cooro's gaze still completely, eerily unmoved. What was going on? What was it that was attacking them? He held his old friend's stare for a moment longer, his confused, scared heart pounding painfully in his chest. Was he…the one doing this?

Husky and Senri both just stared up at the black-winged boy in shock, the words that man had spoken going back through their minds. The horrible things they'd seen on the way there…it couldn't really have been him, could it…?

Damn it! Cooro cursed himself. Why was he doing this with them, too? He'd only been aiming for their legs, and his attacks had been weak… He should've already done away with them…but he couldn't force himself to make that last blow!

Instead of answering, he unleashed another assault, this one sending both of his former companions into the wall with a thud. Husky let out a horrific scream as his back smashed against the stone border, crumbling down to the floor. Senri just laid there for a few moments, a stream of crimson spilling from his right arm as he struggled unsuccessfully to get up.

…But he _had_ to get rid of them. If he let them escape, too, then there really would be something wrong with him!

The bladed staff Husky'd been carrying went flying as he hit the wall, the weapon of the former guard landing with an echo of its own. Cooro snatched it up as he suddenly raced towards them, holding the blade out in front of his face.

Maybe if he couldn't bring himself to do it with his own abilities, he could force himself with a weapon!

He pinned Husky to the wall before the silver-haired boy even got a chance to recover, holding him against the grimy stone with the edge of his own blade pressed into his neck.

"C…Cooro? What the hell is this? What do you think you're doing – it's just us! Calm down! It's me, Husky!" The former guard sputtered, stunned. He swallowed hard, feeling his own weapon hover threateningly over his skin. What was going on? What the heck was wrong with Cooro?

"I already know who you are…" Cooro confirmed with a slight, amused grin. "…And this seems rather familiar, doesn't it?" He mocked, referring to the time he and the others had been attacked by Husky while he was still with the guards...that same weapon being held against his own neck. He shoved the blade just hard enough to get a few, small crimson drops to fall, dribbling down to his companion's chest. "…Heh. It looks like it would've been better for you if you'd just gotten rid of me then, after all, doesn't it?"

A startled scream paused the conflict, diverting the crow +anima's attention to the wide-eyed girl who'd appeared from around the corner.

It was Nana. She'd heard the familiar wail Husky had let out and had hurried back to see what was going on, or if it was really him. Now, though, she could hardly believe her eyes.

Husky and Senri were there in the hall in front of her, both injured, and Cooro was holding Husky's own blade to his neck. She didn't even have time to comprehend the scene.

"_Cooro_!" She shrieked in horror, quickly charging forward and grabbing the black-winged boy from behind before he could react.

She placed her hands over his eyes, Cooro's body stiffening as she obscured his vision and pressed her figure tightly against his, the feathers of his huge wings tickling her face as she struggled to pull him away.

"Cooro… Don't! Stop!" She pleaded, desperate tears falling down her face. "Don't do this! I know you don't want to! …Come on, Cooro… Fight! Come back to us! Please…come back!" Her voice trembled as she spoke, the girl well aware of what would happen if she failed to reach her old friend. All three of them would likely be killed within moments, silenced by the monster that had taken over their companion's place.

"…Cooro…it's us. Nana, Husky, Senri…I know you would never do this to us, Cooro…" She continued, noticing him tremble slightly each time she spoke his name. She made a point to keep speaking it, frantically trying to draw the Cooro she knew out. "Cooro…you're stronger than you think you are! I know you don't want this, I heard those words leave your own mouth! You can fight it, Cooro! We're all right here with you… Do you remember? I promised I'd save you, Cooro… Here I am…I'll stay right beside you! Cooro…please come back!"

She suddenly stopped crying, noticing the feeling of something wet on her palms. She paused, blinking.

A few droplets of water dripped out from under where she held her hands over his eyes, the boy's dark-haired, black-winged body shaking unsteadily underneath her grip. The blade in his hands suddenly relaxed, falling away slightly from Husky's neck.

"…Cooro…?" Nana sputtered uncertainly, her voice quavering nervously. A tense moment passed before she decided to slowly move away her hands, tilting her head to look at his gaze.

She gasped when she saw it, honestly surprised.

The ever-present, anxious fear had returned to his eyes, mixed with a terrible, but painfully human, dose of shock and horror. "Cooro!" She cried out again, her own stare widening once more in amazement. She knew that gaze! That was him! That was _her_ Cooro!

"…Nan…a…?" A weak, broken voice piped up, so soft it was barely audible as the boy looked over his shoulder.

His eyes closed again on their own almost immediately, Cooro's frail, bony form falling limp in Nana's arms as the staff dropped from his fingers. She couldn't quite manage to catch him, the sudden, unexpected weight knocking her over. The girl fell with a thud, the air knocked out of her as she landed roughly between the cold floor and his unconscious body.

"…Nana…!" It was Senri who hurried over to help, the bear +anima finally having managed to get back up himself. She took his hand, gently getting to her feet as the dark-haired figure on top of her plopped limply over onto the floor.

"…T…thank you…" She sputtered shakily, flinching in surprise as her oldest companion suddenly pulled her into an embrace.

"…Nana…" He repeated, holding her tightly as a few tears started to dribble down his face. The young woman giggled slightly in spite of herself.

"Senri…I missed you, too!" She passed a smile towards him and then over at Husky as he walked slowly up to them, still shaken. It surprised her even more when he joined in on the embrace, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. The girl closed her eyes for just a few brief minutes, letting their comforting, familiar warmth sooth her.

"Nana…I'm so glad you're all right…" He admitted timidly. "We… We thought you were dead…you and…"

His voice suddenly trailed off, making all of their gazes open again and drift downwards towards Cooro's still shape.

None of them said anything, moments passing as they just stared at their last companion, unmoving.

He lay on his back with his eyes closed, his sprawled limbs speckled with red and his hair obscuring his face. His black wings were spread out messily on the grimy floor as well, a few stray feathers drifting around their ankles. Nana instinctively moved her foot back with a slight tinge of guilt as she looked down, realizing that she was stepping on the tip of one of the dark shapes jutting from his back.

Aside from the crimson stains, he looked normal. The same as he always had since they'd met him again. His unconscious face was almost completely unchanged from that of the child they'd once known, not suited to the damp stains trailing down from his eyes and the drops of red clinging to his features. Gazing over him now, Nana realized that even the wounds he'd been given that morning were gone…had Catherine healed them? She wondered, recalling what her companion had told her before.

Despite all of it, though, just staring down at his motionless figure made it seem even more impossible to accept what'd just happened.

What would he be like when he woke up?

Even though they'd witnessed it with their own eyes just moments ago, it seemed hard to believe that he might awaken as something other than their timid, warm-hearted old friend.

But…that had been him at the end, just before he'd collapsed. She was sure of it! Catherine had been wrong! Their Cooro wasn't gone! He'd come back!

The question was…would that last? How would his eyes look when he next opened them?

Husky eventually turned his trembling gaze back up to Nana's, his shaken, disbelieving stare holding questions he couldn't even begin to put into words.

That's right…Nana reminded herself…they knew _nothing_.

"Err…I… I'll explain it all later… Everything that I know…" She decided softly, looking away slightly as she answered the unspoken inquiry.

_I'm sorry, Cooro…I know I've said I wouldn't tell them anything, but… I can't keep my word this time! This is different! After what you just did…_

"Let's just get out of here…" The girl finally decided, her voice dry. She was all too eager to get away from that death-ridden place, as well as from Catherine, who she knew must still be nearby. Husky and Senri both nodded fervently, before all three of them suddenly felt their gazes drawn downwards again.

Cooro still lay on the floor, unmoving and vulnerable. Nana, Husky, and Senri stared down at him once more, another unspoken question on each of their minds.

Eventually, Senri stepped forward, gently reaching down and pulling the unconscious young man up onto his back. Neither Husky nor Nana argued, but they both diverted their gazes slightly as their companion met their eyes. "…He comes…" The bear +anima confirmed, trying to balance the boy's position on his back to keep him from slipping off. The wings were added weight that he wasn't used to carrying, the older man having a harder time lifting him than he had before.

After passing a quick glance at the still shaken Husky, Nana nodded distractedly, slowly padding up and taking one of Cooro's limply hanging hands. She bit her bottom lip, entwining her fingers with his just as she had all those nights imprisoned on the boat to Astar.

"Come on, let's just go!" Husky suddenly urged. "Meora paid a boat to take us here – it's still waiting at the southern port to take us back to the fortress."

With that, Nana gently let go of her companion's hand, letting it fall loosely again as she silently turned her gaze away.

They started to walk, leaving the unpleasant scene of the prison behind as they headed for the ship – their way back to the place they currently called home. The tips of Cooro's wings dragged limply on the ground, leaving a slight trail of crimson behind as droplets of red dribbled slowly down his feathers.

* * *

…_Well, Cooro's still alive, and they finally got away, but probably not in the way they would've expected or hoped_…

_Stay tuned, and please review!_


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Choosing To Fight

**The Typical Fanfiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_Here's the seventeenth full chapter! Sorry for the slightly longer weight than usual..._

_Anyway, this one's a bit calmer than the previous few chapters, dealing largely with the aftermath of the last one. _

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: **Choosing To Fight

* * *

The four +anima arrived at the dock early in the afternoon, when the sun was at it's midpoint in the sky. Its bright, but chilled light cast harsh shadows across the capital city, illuminating their faces with a pale glow and reflecting vibrantly on the smooth, blue water stretching indefinitely on from underneath the wooden platform beneath their feet.

They'd traveled as fast as they'd been able with Senri dragging Cooro's unconscious shape on his back, quickly trying to escape while the disastrous events of the morning continued to envelop the whole sector of guards in chaos.

It didn't seem they'd been pursued, and judging by that the fact the area by the ship seemed fairly calm, neither had the +anima Husky and Senri said they'd set free.

Nana couldn't help but spare a last, nervous glance back as they reached the landing near the boat, though, pausing as she turned and stared behind her. She half expected to see the unpleasantly familiar faces of the guards who'd held her captive for weeks rushing up towards the dock, ready to take her away again.

Or…the dark-winged form of Catherine.

She shivered, the haunting image of that cold, inhuman woman making her heart race faster. She surely wouldn't be pleased about losing her 'brother,' even after she'd been sure of her own victory. Who knew what she would do now?

"Hey, Nana! Come on, we need to hurry!"

"O…oh… Right!" She sputtered, Husky's voice pulling her out of her thoughts as he beckoned her towards the ship, where the captain was waiting to help them board the swaying vessel. She quickly sprinted the rest of the way down the dock, rejoining her companions.

* * *

Nana heaved a deep, exhausted sigh as she reached the inside of the ship, her legs feeling like they were about to give out beneath her. She plopped onto a couch by one of the windows lining the sides of the huge cabin, finally forcing her tense, shaking muscles to relax as her tired body sank comfortably into the padding, her head resting on an armrest. "It's been weeks since I've been able to sit on anything but the floor!" She commented with a smile as Husky sat down next to her, taking in a breath of his own.

Her satisfied grin abruptly faded, though, when she caught the silver-haired boy run his fingers absently across the small wound on his neck, left by his own blade.

Cooro…

Her muscles instantly tensed again as a wave of unease spread down through her body, the scenes she'd experienced just that morning playing over again in her head. She saw Cooro staring down coldly as the guard's lifeless bodies fell away beneath him. She saw his empty, inhuman eyes as he turned to face her. She saw his hands pressing Husky's own weapon against the boy's throat.

None of it seemed real now…but her chest was uncomfortably tight, and she could still feel her hands trembling near her head on the armrest. She swallowed hard as she glanced down at them. Dried crimson speckled her skin, splattered on her hands and caught under her fingernails. The sight made her feel sick, her stomach churning.

The young woman forced her eyes up, to where Senri was still standing with their dark-haired companion on his back, searching for a place to set him down.

At first, the other +anima who'd fled had been too busy amongst themselves to pay the additional four who'd boarded much notice…but now they'd caught sight of the limp, black-winged shape carried by one of the men who'd saved them. A few of them slowly started to gather around, whispering back and forth with nervous, uneasy glances.

A quick tinge of alarm rushed down Nana's spine, the girl sitting up slightly as she scanned the scene. …Did they know what Cooro had done?

The sound of creaking doors diverted the attention of the +anima in the room, all the passengers turning to face the captain as he walked in. "All right, everyone! The clients have boarded, and we're ready to go – I've already lifted anchor and got the boat drifting a bit…we'll be comfortably off the shores of Astar before long! I didn't expect to have this many people to carry – it might be a bit cramped, but I'll get you to the fortress as fast as any ship could! Please, make yourselves at home in the meantime."

He walked up to Senri as he finished speaking, gesturing for him to follow. The captain undid a lock on the wall, pulling away part of the opening to what appeared to be a closet. There were a few small mattresses piled inside – probably used when carrying passengers before. After grabbing sheets and a pillow to go with it, he dragged one out, placing it in a corner near the same window. "Here, put the boy on this."

Senri nodded, gently tipping just enough to let Cooro start slipping off his back and into his arms.

"Wait!" A voice suddenly sounded incredulously, almost making the bear +anima drop him as he startled. "That's the boy from the guard station, isn't it? The one…the one who… You can't be serious about letting that…that _monster_ onto the ship with us!"

The captain blinked in surprise as he turned to face the man who'd objected, not understanding the accusation. "What…?" He'd heard briefly from a few of the escapee +anima that something horrible had happened at the station, but had never received enough details to make a connection.

"That boy!" Another man piped up, pointing to the unconscious Cooro. "He's the one who killed all those guards! There's no way you can make us ride with a murderer like him!"

"He's a killer!" A woman shouted. "Get him off of here, before he wakes up!"

Nana frowned in anger, feeling her fingers clench slightly. "Stop it!" She spat back. "If it wasn't for him you might never have escaped! Those people were the guards that took you captive, why do you care about what happened to them? They were awful people! They were going to execute him! He just…" She persisted, pausing and biting her bottom lip as she realized she was subconsciously trying to justify her companion's horrible actions.

"That doesn't validate slaughter like that!" A third man from the crowd argued.

"It was terrifying – that place!" Another woman wailed, recalling what they'd seen on their way out. "What he did was inhuman! He'll kill us all, too! Get him off! Why is anyone even trying to protect him?"

"He's our friend – that's why!" Husky argued, even as he forced his hand down from the wound on his neck. Nana blinked up at him in surprise, watching as he stood up. "We're the ones that sent this boat, and the person who paid for it knows him, too – he's coming! If you don't like it, you don't have to ride with us – the captain can drop you off somewhere else." He announced sternly, getting a nod out of Senri.

"How could anyone be friends with a monster like that?" A young woman accused.

"You don't understand!" Nana spat, tears starting to well up in her eyes again. She was surprised she even had any left, after that morning. "Cooro's not really like that! He's not a monster! He's not…" Her voice trailed off, recalling the words that had left her companion's own tongue.

…No! She didn't believe it! The old friend she knew wasn't gone! That killer wasn't the real 'Cooro'! He wasn't the one who'd wake up… He couldn't be…

"He can't be anything else!" The other woman insisted. "No one normal would do something like that! He's a demon – leave him for the rest of those guards to find!"

"Too late!" Husky countered. "We've already drifted away from the dock – he's coming."

The woman shook her head defiantly. "If we can't leave him behind, then throw him over the balcony and into the sea!" Murmurs of agreement rose up from the rest of the crowd.

Nana's eyes widened in horror as she realized what they were suggesting, shocked. "W…what?"

"I know it sounds horrible…" The second man to speak continued. "But she's right – there's no way we can let a murderer stay with us in this small ship. It's insane! And just dropping him off somewhere else would be reckless, too… We have to get rid of him!"

"N…no way!" Nana sputtered, standing up herself. "How could you say something like that after talking about how awful what he did was? What you're saying is no different!"

"It is different." The woman from before insisted. "It's for the safety of everyone else on the boat." Voices piped up in agreement from the rest of the +anima. "He's unconscious – he won't even feel anything. It's not that cruel…"

"No!" Nana screamed, water dampening her cheeks. "We won't! We won't do that to Cooro! You don't know him! He won't hurt anyone anymore! I know he won't! You don't need to be afraid… Please, just leave him alone!" She pleaded, catching Senri protectively tighten his grip on their companion out of the corner of her eye – they were definitely outnumbered.

Just as the other woman opened her mouth to retort, though, the captain stepped forward again. "Just calm down, everyone! Enough of this hysterical nonsense! I don't quite understand what's going on, but this is the boy Meora wanted saved, right?" He looked to Senri, the bear +anima nodding. "I trust her judgment. Let him be – he's coming back with us!"

"You can't leave us trapped with a demon like that!" A new man spoke up, his eyes wide in alarm. "We have to get rid of him, or who knows if any of us will make it to the fortress!"

Nana gritted her teeth, frustrated desperation pounding in her chest. "Look…" She started bitterly, suddenly grabbing the bladed staff away from a startled looking Husky and sending a tense hush over the gathering. "I'll be able to tell by his eyes if he's gone back to his normal self or not the instant he wakes up… I'll stay right beside him and wait! If he's… If he's still like he was before… Then I'll…" She hesitated, forcing her tongue to form the next words she was going to speak. "…I'll kill him myself! I'll slit his throat before he can even sit up! I won't let him hurt anyone else!"

There were painful tears in her eyes, even as she raised her voice. More whispers ensued in the crowd, their voices uncertain.

"…Nana…" Husky murmured, taking a step closer to her.

"It's…all right." She turned to him, forcing a smile as she whispered. "I won't have to do anything like that! He'll be himself again… I'm sure of it!" She tried to sound confident, struggling to drown out the agonizing fear in her own heart.

He'd rather die than hurt anyone else, especially any of them…she knew that. There was nothing wrong with what she'd agreed to. How could she ever do it, though? She would never be able to, even if he'd want her to.

"I just…had to say something to get them to back off…" She admitted, looking back up to see that the crowd, indeed, had calmed slightly.

"See?" The captain insisted sternly, gesturing for the gathering to disperse. "We've got it under control. There's no need to be alarmed."

Slowly, they did start to step back, realizing they weren't going to get anything more. Nana and the others received a few more harsh, narrowed stares and fearful glances, but that was it as the crowd gave up.

There were a few moments of silence, before the sound of movement made the girl turn to see Senri finally placing Cooro down gently on the bed. He laid him down on his side towards the edge, letting his huge wings spread out over the rest of the mattress with the tips dangling off by the window. Carefully, he shuffled the sheets, placing them over their motionless companion and positioning the pillow beneath his head. The three of them just stared for a moment, saying nothing.

It was the captain who spoke first. "Hey, girl!" He tossed something made of cloth towards Nana, the young woman barely catching it as she flinched. "There's some extra clothes. No offense, but you smell just awful! Go clean yourself up! And have the boy do the same when he wakes up."

With that simple remark, the captain left the cabin as the doors creaked closed behind him.

Normally she would have been offended at the order, but she was unable to deny how filthy she was after being held captive in horrible old cells for almost two weeks, without ever having the chance to bath or even change clothes – she was definitely eager to get into something new.

Nana spared a glance down at the still figure under the sheets again, as if wondering if it was okay to leave. "It's all right. We'll watch him." Husky assured. The young woman just forced a smile as she passed her silver-haired companion back the staff she'd snatched, turning to head somewhere to change. "But…hey, Nana…" He started, a slight hesitation audible in his voice.

"Hmm?" The girl turned back to face the boy, gathering up the clothes she'd been given more neatly in her arms.

"…When you get back, will you finally tell us what exactly is going on with Cooro? At least what you know?" He asked, his words unusually timid, as if a part of him didn't want to hear. Senri met her gaze as well, his stare asking the same thing.

Nana's head dropped slightly as a tinge of guilt spread through her – both for breaking her word to Cooro about keeping his secrets, and for hiding things from Husky and Senri to begin with. Her eyes drifted towards the floor. "…I will." She answered simply, before turning away and hurrying off out of the main room, her feet carrying her quickly.

* * *

"…So…it really was Cooro who… Those people at the guard station, I mean…" Husky finally spoke, his voice soft. "These +anima, when we saved them, they said it was a boy with black wings who'd killed the guards, but I didn't really think…"

The silence returned after that, Nana not even bothering to answer as she stared down emptily at the plate on her lap, wiping a few tears that had come to rest on her cheeks off with her palm.

She'd finally changed out of the filth-ridden clothes she'd been stuck in for the last two weeks, and had tried to clean herself up as best as she could with a towel. It was such a relief to get rid of the grime, but the pleasure of finally being refreshed and free had started to fade as she'd had to face the secrets she'd been keeping from her two companions.

No longer able to avoid it, the girl had tried to explain everything she knew as they sat on the couch near Cooro's bed, eating the small portion of dinner they'd received.

She couldn't even recall now what she'd said – it'd spilled from her tongue in an uncertain torrent of memories and fears. It'd been hard to explain something that she knew sounded so bizarre unbelievable.

Husky and Senri, though, had mostly sat in complete silence as she'd spoken, their eyes wide and confused.

They'd figured out for themselves that Cooro was still a +anima after finding a familiar black feather near the site of the tragedy, so they hadn't been surprised to find him like that at the guard station. But, regardless of the way they'd been attacked, they did seem startled as Nana started explaining the unnatural, inhuman things she'd seem him do in the underground mine and to the guards, and what Catherine had told her about him. They'd questioned her further about it, but she hadn't been able to make it any clearer…not when she herself didn't understand – not even close!

Husky subconsciously rubbed his fingers across the small wound on his neck again, slowly shifting his gaze towards the sleeping, dark-winged form of his companion. "That woman…said that 'our' Cooro doesn't exist? I don't know how that could be, but…" The old friend that he knew would never have done those awful things! He didn't know if he could quite bring himself to believe what he was hearing, but that was something he did know for sure, and he didn't know how to make sense of it. His heart had sunk at Nana's explanation. There had to have been something wrong with Cooro for him to behave as he had… He'd been a bit off since they'd first seen him again, and he'd known something had to have happened to have made him that way…but he'd wanted to believe that it was something that could be fixed. Now, though…what if those other +anima were right? What if he was just a monster? "…She said that…our Cooro was just gone?"

Nana looked towards him again, biting her bottom lip. "She… She did…but… I don't believe her!" Her voice rose as defiance flared in her eyes. "I don't understand any of this myself, but I know that was him! Our Cooro! Just before he fainted, he was different again…he stopped and came back to himself. She was wrong!"

Husky fell silent again for a moment, just staring at Cooro's still shape a moment longer. "I wish he'd just wake up and get this over with…" He commented dryly, before resolution flickered in his eyes, the boy coming to an internal decision. "You're right, though… He _is_ our friend." He repeated, backing up what he'd said earlier. "I won't let anyone hurt him unless we know with absolute certainty that a demon is all he is now. If there's even a chance that our Cooro could come back, then I'll keep protecting him."

"Right!" Nana agreed with a determined nod. "I know the way he was at the prison wasn't really him! I haven't given up on him yet!"

"…Cooro…" Senri nodded as well, his own decision made.

They were all quiet again after that, staying by the side of their companion's bed and each other as waves whapped against the side of the steadily moving ship.

"I'll go return the plates…and I think I'll go get some fresh air on the deck afterwards…" Husky suddenly announced quietly after they'd all stopped absently picking at their food. Senri stood up to follow, but Nana remained seated.

"I guess I'll stay here…" She started solemnly. "To keep the promise I made to the other +anima, I mean… I said I'd wait here for Cooro to wake up."

"…All right." The former guard bit his lip. "We won't be gone too long. We can watch him for a while when we come back."

Nana just nodded, her two conscious companions walking off and leaving her alone.

She looked down distractedly at the kitchen knife she now held in her hands, having fetched it from the boat's storage instead of Husky's staff. The gleam on the sharp edge made her feel nauseous, the thought of what it was intended for making her stomach churn.

Cooro had been absolutely terrified of doing something just like he had that morning…the last thing he would ever want would be to keep on hurting people. If it came down to it, the old friend that she knew would be grateful if she stopped him, by any means necessary, but…there was still no way she could…

The young woman moved from the couch over towards the bed where Cooro's unconscious body rested under the sheets, lightly taking a seat on the edge. She stayed there, just waiting.

She was still wearing the black and lilac scarf he'd given her. It needed to be washed desperately, but she hadn't quite brought herself to be able to take it off with the rest of her clothes.

The dangling tips of it caught her eye as she stared down at her feet, bringing the image of his warm, smiling face back into her mind.

Nana hadn't told their other two companions quite_ everything_. She hadn't mentioned the embrace they'd shared in the underground mind…the promise she'd made to him…what he'd told her just the night before in the prison.

Tears started falling from her eyes again as the memories drifted through her head, dampening the cheeks she continually failed at keeping dry. She held the scarf up to her face, burying her features in it. "Cooro… Please…please come back!" She begged longingly. "I would miss you so much! I know you think that you don't mean anything to anyone…but it's not true! You do – to me! I want you with me! I won't leave you alone this time, like I did that morning at the port eight years ago… I want all of us to be together now! Husky and Senri want you here, too! …Please! I don't want to lose you! I don't know what I'd do if… Please…come back!"

She kept sobbing in the absence of her other two old friends, not even noticing the stares she was receiving from the crowd of +anima in the crowded cabin.

* * *

Nana was still in the same place as it turned to late afternoon. Husky and Senri had indeed offered to take her place when they got back, but she'd declined, saying that she didn't want to get up.

The girl lay stretched out on the edge of the same bed as Cooro, her tired form refusing to hold itself upright any longer. She still held the knife as she'd promised she would, but she was facing away from him, gazing distractedly ahead to the window on the opposite side of the cabin.

Both her body and mind were still in shock from everything she'd gone through that morning, the young woman realizing that her exhausted figure still had never stopped shaking as she laid it against the white sheets of the bed. Just having some time to recover comfortably was what she needed, but…she'd be able to relax much better once Cooro finally woke up.

Or at least…that's what she hoped.

She would've felt a little less uneasy if he hadn't still had his wings out. She didn't understand the connection with whatever was going on with him and his +anima, but it obviously was a trigger.

Nevertheless, he had been himself just before he'd fallen unconscious, regardless of what Catherine had said and the fact that he'd been in his +anima form then. She couldn't stop herself from swallowing hard, though – a nervous, anxious ache in her chest.

She lay there with her thoughts as the minutes continued to pass, losing track of time as she blankly watched the other +anima throughout the boat's cabin.

It was when she felt a slight movement shake the bed, and heard the old mattress let out a creak, that she instantly whipped her gaze around, startled.

_Cooro!_

Up until now he'd been laying completely motionless, but as she turned she saw the boy laying on the opposite side of the bed shuffle slightly – closing his eyes tighter and clenching the material of the pillowcase below him with his fingers as he let out a slight moan.

Nana gasped, immediately sitting up as her heart started beating faster. She was completely silent, her muscles tense and stiff as her eyes widened nervously – scared of what she'd see.

He was waking up.

A few seconds later, Cooro stirred again and rolled over slightly, his dark hair falling over his face as he suddenly started pushing himself up with his palms.

"C…Cooro…?" Nana sputtered, unable to see his face. She carefully reached out a shaky hand, placing it gently on his.

The boy jerked slightly, instantly turning his head to face hers.

Nana froze. His eyes were emotionless and cold, almost appearing dead except for the fact that she could tell they were fixated right on her. Her heart lurched, the girl feeling her grip subconsciously tighten on the knife in her hands even though she remained still.

No!

"…No! Cooro!" She shrieked, making the black-winged figure flinch.

His gaze shut tightly again as he winced, all at once drawing away his wings and letting the feathers on his arms disappear. He stayed like that for a moment longer, gasping and panting for breath as his body trembled.

Surprised and shaken, Nana bit her bottom lip, hesitating a moment before speaking this time. "…Cooro?" She finally prompted again, her voice uncertain and nervous.

He blinked his closed eyes, lifting and shutting his tired eyelids a few times before they finally stayed open, the wide stare beneath them quickly scanning the cabin. He turned back to Nana, anxious confusion filling his gaze.

"Cooro!" The girl cried again as she met the stare, relief filling her voice. His eyes were different this time! That was _him_! Her familiar companion and old friend!

She immediately dropped the knife and pulled him into her arms without another thought, holding him close in an embrace as her eyes started to water happily. "Oh thank goodness…" She whispered, strengthening her trembling grip tighter.

Still not quite awake or aware of what was going on, the young man looked up at her in even greater bewilderment. "…Nana?" He murmured weakly, returning the embrace even though he hadn't quite determined what it was for yet. "What's going on…? What's…?" He let his head rest on her shoulder as he struggled to figure out what was happening and where he was, somehow feeling completely and utterly exhausted.

Wait! The execution! How was he still alive? Had it not happened yet?

A shiver all at once shot down his spine as he tensed, quickly gazing about his surroundings again as a wave of panic tore at his senses.

But…this wasn't the prison cell. Where was he? He didn't recognize this place at all…

Had they escaped? Was he safe? But…how…?

More images started to return to him as he strained to remember, his thoughts for some reason scattered and muted as if he'd just woken up from a nightmare.

That's right… It was supposed to have already happened. He was supposed to have been killed already. He winced as he recalled the beatings, suddenly remembering the sharp sting of the whip all too well. The guards _had_ come that dawn – they'd taken him away from Nana and dragged him towards the noose. But…they'd stopped, and beaten him when he refused to take out his wings. And then…

And then…

His eyes abruptly widened, his whole body stiffening as he took in a sharp breath. He started shaking, horror suddenly tearing through him as the events of that morning formed fully in his memory.

He heard screams as the images kept playing in his mind, recalling the terrifying words that'd left his own lips and the feeling of warm crimson splattering against him as he smiled.

This time, though, it only left him with mouth agape, filling him with terror as salty water started dribbling down his face.

He'd done something horrible.

It was the same as the incident three years ago. He still was alive, but his hatred and fear for himself surged through him with renewed, shocked vigor, mixed with bitter disbelief.

He'd failed. No matter how he'd sworn he'd never do something like that again, he'd failed. He'd killed. He'd completely lost control.

The boy abruptly pulled away from Nana, startling the girl as looked down at himself with wide, horrified eyes. There were still dried red and black stains on his clothes, the grim crimson dotting his flesh as he held up his shaking limbs. …Those people…

His tears started falling faster as he remembered the sound of their flesh tearing, recalling the sick feeling of pleasure and satisfaction he'd felt as he'd watched their blood spill.

He _was_ a monster! He _was_ a murderer! He _was_ a demon! He'd tried so hard just to be a normal human, but in the end, this was all it'd led to…

"…No…" He mourned, looking back at Nana with eyes overcome with horror and guilt. "No… No! No! _No_!" He started sobbing, crushed by the weight of what he'd done.

The girl bit her bottom lip, not sure what to say. He obviously remembered. A part of her had hoped he wouldn't. There was desperation in his broken gaze, as if he would give anything for her to take his pain away somehow, to say that his memories were wrong, but she couldn't do that… "…Cooro…" She murmured gently, sorrow in her voice as she carefully, perhaps almost wearily, stretched out a comforting hand. He only pulled away though, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry…" Cooro stuttered. "I'm so, so sorry!"

He didn't want her to accept his words – he didn't deserve it. He wanted her to smack him across the face and cast him away again, to punish him for the horrible things he'd done.

But instead, she just stared back, both of their gazes intense and silent as she met him right in the eyes. "…I know." She acknowledged, a sad smile on her lips. "It's not your fault."

A part of her felt guilty, too. He'd fought so strongly against this happening – even when the guards had tortured and whipped him, he still hadn't given in. It was only because they'd threatened her that things had turned out this way. She didn't want to remind him now that he shouldn't have agreed to their orders for her sake, though, knowing that would only make both of them feel worse.

Not his fault? Cooro just continued staring back, his face still dampening. Of course it was his fault!

"But… But I…" He sputtered, his voice trailing back into sobs. "I _killed_ them!" He wailed. "I'm disgusting! I'm horrible! I'm…" He couldn't speak anymore, his voice completely overcome with tears.

"They were going to kill you, though." Nana reminded. "They were awful people to do what they did to the +anima…"

"But that doesn't change what I did!" Cooro managed to argue back, his voice shattered and broken. "Especially not when I deserved that punishment to begin with…" He admitted sadly. "And I hurt Husky and Senri, too, when they were only there to help save me!" His voice trailed off for a moment. "And you… I… I almost…"

Nana didn't say anything back this time, but she leaned forward and took him in her arms again before he had a chance to protest, holding him tight once more like she had in the prison.

She still felt slightly uncomfortable, remembering the words that had left _his_ mouth. He'd looked her right in the eyes and sworn with his own tongue that the way he was then was the real him, that the 'Cooro' she knew was gone and had never even truly existed. Yet, here he was, back in her arms like before. He was real – nothing could convince her otherwise.

A part of her felt afraid, after seeing with her own eyes the awful things he'd done, but his whole presence felt different now. It was only scared and sad, nothing like the sinister feeling she'd felt pound against her before.

"Either way, it's over now." She started simply as he cried into her shoulder, unable to summon the words and control to speak or resist anymore. "What you did, both three years ago and earlier, is just awful, but… You tried so hard to stop it from happening… It wasn't you back there. I know it wasn't! It wasn't your fault… I'm just glad that you're still alive, that you're yourself again…"

Cooro looked up at her with watery eyes once more, before he closed his gaze and kept crying.

They stayed like that for a while, the girl suddenly noticing that the crowd had started gathering around again, watching her companion with a mixture of anxiety and confusion.

He hardly looked dangerous now – the onlookers barely able to believe that this was the same person they'd seen mercilessly slaughter the guards just a few hours ago. In the end, most of them just shook their heads and backed off, having a hard time fearing someone who appeared so pathetic and helpless.

The door to the cabin creaked open a few minutes later, Nana whipping her gaze back around just in time to see Husky and Senri step in. They'd gone to talk with the captain and spend more time outside while she rested, only just returning.

"Husky! Senri!" She beckoned. "Come over here! Cooro's awake!" The boy tensed, pulling away from her slightly as his other two companions quickly approached.

"Cooro!" Husky called, the crow +anima only hanging his head in shame as they neared. He didn't know if he could even bring himself to look them in the eyes anymore. They'd come, all this way, just to save him and Nana… But he'd… How could he face them now?

He glanced at the small wound on Husky's neck, and the gashes on Senri's arm, out of the corner of his eyes, the injuries eventually blurred by the dampness in his gaze. "I'm so, _so_ sorry… I…" He repeated, not knowing what else to say. The sobs started threatening again, making his voice trail off as he wiped his face with the back of his palms.

Husky just sighed, relieved. Yes…this was definitely the Cooro they'd grown used to now. "You mean this…?" He started, pointing to the cut on his throat. "That's nothing! As a guard, I've had much worse! It's not a big deal." He answered casually, getting his dark-haired companion to gaze back up at him, unconvinced.

He tried not to show his own uncertainty, forcing a smile across his face. His old friend looked so harmless and miserable now. "Since you forgave me…I'll forgive you, okay?" He offered, referring again to the time he'd held the blade against Cooro as a member of the Astar guards.

That _was_ different, though, he distinguished internally. He'd been ordered to – he'd never wanted to do something like that. Cooro, on the other hand, hadn't had any reason to once so ever – it'd just been downright sadistic! But staring at him now, it was hard to believe it'd been the same person. Despite how Nana had tried to explain, he still wasn't even close to understanding what was going on, but his companion was back to his old self – he wouldn't bother saying anything more about it.

Senri just walked up next to him with a warm, relieved smile, gently patting the boy's head.

The crow +anima just stared up at them in amazement, turning to each one of his three old friends. "Nana, Husky, Senri… Thank you…"

Cooro smiled in spite of the pain and guilt in his heart as Nana wrapped her arms around him once more, his other two companions doing the same as all four of them huddled close, together for the first time in a while. He had to admit he was glad to still be alive for this, to see them all again.

He waited until they finally moved away before he spoke once more, glancing towards the door that led out of the cabin. "Umm…" He started slowly. "I think I'm going to go sit out there for a while, and get some fresh air, okay?" The young man asked timidly, wondering why he still felt like he needed permission even though he was nineteen and the second oldest out of the four of them. He sighed, wishing he didn't have to be so afraid. It wasn't fair. But he didn't even have a right to complain about that anymore… What he'd done hadn't been fair to all those people who'd died that morning instead of him.

"O…okay…" Nana sputtered, a slight unease audible in her voice. She took another glance around at the other +anima, but they seemed to be mostly just staying away from him now. "Do you want us to come with you?" She offered.

He just shook his head. They meant so much to him, but he felt like he just needed to be alone for a while now. He needed to sort out his thoughts, without them there to try to comfort him.

Nana bit her lip again. "…Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself?" She asked. After all…after what'd just happened…

"Yeah…" He answered simply but sternly, ending the discussion. He slid his legs off the bed and slowly got to his feet, careful as he put weight on his right ankle.

Husky and Senri both looked surprised as he started heading towards the door without wings or support, Cooro just passing them a weak smile. "I can walk again now."

The former guard just returned the expression, trying to forget about what he'd done for a moment as he let himself feel happy for his old friend. Cooro had been injured just before he'd seen him again, he realized. This was the first time he'd seen him walk in eight years.

"Oh!" He suddenly started as a thought came to him. "Then why don't you go clean yourself up, too. The captain gave you and Nana some extra clothes." The silver-haired boy picked up the pile of them by the bed, tossing it to him. "He's a friend of Meora's. She hired this boat to take us, and these other +anima me and Senri rescued now, back to the fortress." He re-explained, in case his companion didn't remember what he'd been told at the guard station.

Cooro, though, just nodded, gathering the clothes in his arms after barely catching them. "Okay… I'll be back after a bit…" He answered dryly, his voice still sad as he turned and started carefully walking out of the main room of the cabin, searching for somewhere to change.

He suddenly noticed a slight, burning tinge well up in his shoulders, making him pause and take in a quick gasp just as he reached the exit. The pain wasn't nearly as potent, since he'd had his wings out only a few minutes ago, but, though weak, the sensation was still unmistakable.

Catherine…

He shivered, remembering his last conversation with her. He'd told he was going to wait by the exit of the guard station…but things hadn't happened that way. And now he was his 'human' self again. She would be absolutely enraged!

He swallowed hard, gazing out the windows with his heart beating faster.

"…Cooro?" Nana passed him a look, new concern tainting her already worried voice. "Is something wrong?"

"Ah, umm…" He sputtered, startled out of his search for Catherine's black-winged silhouette. She was keeping hidden – he hadn't been able to catch sight of her. "N…no! Nothing! I'm fine!" He covered, forcing a confident smile that seemed out of place.

Nana and his other two companions just blinked, not fooled. Before they could respond though, Cooro abruptly turned back towards and opened the cabin door, stepping through the exit and closing it behind him.

* * *

Keeping her distance from the ship, Catherine followed its shape below as it moved through the water, hiding herself by the cliffs that bordered the sea.

He was on board that boat. That's where his presence had escaped to…

She clenched her fists in anger, her fingernails digging into her palms. What the heck had happened? Just earlier that morning, he'd gone back to being himself again… She'd been able to speak to him as her brother…

But…

Her eyes suddenly opened wider as she saw his very shape, distant and small below her, emerge from the cabin of the boat out onto the deck. He stopped and glanced around nervously – most likely looking for her, before slowly walking over and sitting near the edge of the ship, gazing over the water.

Why…? How had he fallen into his human mask again? It was impossible!

The veil over her brother had completely broken – the disguise he wore as a human wasn't real, it should've completely dissipated to nothingness when he became his true self. It should've been gone. There should've been no way he could ever get it back!

And yet, there he was, as broken and scared of her as ever.

How…? This wasn't right!

Catherine felt a wave of frustrated rage surge through her, gritting her teeth. This wasn't supposed to happen! This _couldn't_ happen!

That girl…the bat +anima… She must've done _something_!

She had absolutely no idea what. Her brother going back to his fake, placeholder personality shouldn't have been possible!

Nana… That was her name, wasn't it? Catherine narrowed her eyes. She still didn't understand how he'd gone back to being their human companion, but, for whatever reason, he had. That girl, along with those other two that hung around him, needed to be eliminated.

She cursed herself now for not doing away with them earlier – she'd had plenty of opportunity. If she hadn't given most of her strength to heal her brother's frail body, she would've swooped down now and make quick work of everyone on that ship!

Her limbs trembled and ached, tense and shaken from fury. Bloodlust swept over her mind, consuming the center of her being. She'd been so close! She'd won! She'd won until fate had somehow snatched that victory away from her…

She wanted them dead! Those three +anima…the bat, the fish, and the bear! This would stop! She would kill them and take her prize! Even if fixed, things were never quite as strong after having broken – she would shatter his human veil again easily!

But, she could do nothing as weak as she was now. She'd given everything she could back at the guard station…if she kept using her abilities, her own measly human body wouldn't hold up… Flying itself was exhausting enough – she could barely manage to follow the ship. He'd been severely injured, and it'd taken a lot to heal him – this wasn't something she'd recover quickly from, either…

As much as Catherine hated it, trailing slowly after the boat was all she could do, panting for breath as she forced her tired wings to beat.

* * *

Cooro sat near the edge of the ship, his legs slipping under the railing and dangling down the side of the boat as his arms rested on the bar.

He'd just changed out of those filthy, grimly stained clothes, exchanging them for the simple, loose articles that the captain had given. He hadn't put any of it back on except for the scarf Nana had made, not even his shoes. At least he was rid of one constant reminder of what he'd done…

There was no way he could escape anymore, from any of it. Husky and Senri probably knew everything now, too, he figured, guessing that Nana had told them. He couldn't be mad at her though – now it would've been wrong for her not to…

The boy sighed, staring downward. The ocean spray that the ship aroused tickled the bottoms of his bare feet, dampening his toes as he stared down at his continuously moving reflection. The boat had slowed down slightly as it'd gotten out of the area directly around Astar, allowing him to make out his own features in the water even in the dim evening light.

The dark-haired face gazing distractedly back up at him didn't look like that of a monster – it looked too sad…

Too bad he knew otherwise.

Cooro let out a slight moan, letting his head rest against the bar as he leaned all the way against the railing.

The person doing the same below him was someone horrible, someone disgusting who shouldn't be alive. They were someone who desperately wanted something they could never have. Someone who took the lives of others, and hurt their own friends. Someone who wasn't even real…

A few drops of water fell from the boy's eyes as he continued to stare down at his own image.

The reflection below looked like that of any average human. He had a normal human body – his pale skin, dark hair, brown eyes, frail limbs, and other features of his flesh un-alarming and un-remarkable. Why couldn't he live a normal human life like everyone else? Why was that one, simple wish so much to ask for? Why did it have to make him feel so horrible and guilty?

To avoid a repeat of what happened three years ago, he'd made a promise with himself then to keep from using his wings. He'd have to live with that sin forever, but it would never happen again. That was what he'd told himself to excuse his own continued survival.

But he'd broken that promise, and it had indeed led to exactly what he'd been trying to keep from happening. There was no excuse for that… Both of the times he'd used his +anima he'd been trying to help Nana, but if it hadn't been for him – if he'd never shown up in her orchard and triggered the series of events that'd turned her life upside down – she wouldn't ever have even been in those situations.

He was a murderer, regardless of how he tried to look at it. A killer…

A bittersweet smile came across his lips as far-off memories drifted through his head – he'd never thought that this was what'd become. Never.

"…Cooro?"

He lifted his head weekly at the sound of the familiar female voice, moving his eyes away from his own gaze.

Nana, Senri, and Husky had all come up behind him, wrapped in blankets from the bedding inside to shield themselves against the chilled, evening air.

"What are you guys doing out here…?" Cooro asked quietly. "I already said that I'm fine alone."

"We just came to check on you, that's all." Husky admitted. "You've been out here a long time…and it's starting to get cold now."

"The captain came in and is pulling out the rest of the mattresses – it's not that late, but everyone's going to go to sleep soon. You should come in, too – you need rest." Nana prompted hopefully. The three of them had tried their best to just let him be, but they still felt slightly uncomfortable leaving him by himself. Since the other +anima seemed to just be carefully avoiding him now, he appeared to be okay, but…

Cooro turned away again, this time gazing off blankly towards the distance. "I'll come inside in a little bit…" He answered vaguely, his voice meek and quiet.

Nana bit her tongue, following his eyes.

It was growing darker by the minute now, the sun slowly starting to sink below the horizon as evening painted both the sky and the ocean in hues of red and orange.

The girl gave out a tired sigh, startling her companion as she suddenly sat down beside him. She carefully unfurled part of the quilt that covered her figure, spreading half over Cooro's shoulders as he blinked at her in surprise.

"It's a beautiful sunset, isn't it?" Nana commented thoughtfully. "Isn't it wonderful that you're still here to see it?" Despite the slight fear that had formed in her consciousness, she passed her old friend a warm smile, recalling that he was supposed to have died earlier that dawn.

Cooro said nothing for a moment, biting his bottom lip as he again turned his gaze to her. "But… Because I am, all of those people at the guard station… None of them are…" He looked back down in shame, feeling tears start to spill from under his eyes once more.

"It's not your fault." Nana repeated. "I don't think you're the same person at all as the one who said those things to me and did that to those guards…"

"B…but, I…" Cooro sputtered, her words catching him off-guard. "But I am… I remember this morning as clearly as anything else…" He gave his head a sad shake. "It's so strange…I really thought the way I am now was horrible and disgusting, and now I think just the opposite. But, either way…there's only one me. I'm just one being."

Nana passed him another glance. "Both Catherine, and you yourself, too, said that the 'Cooro' that we know was gone forever, though. But that wasn't true! You did come back! I think that means that you have a will of your own that's separate from that monster's."

Her eyes locked with his for a few seconds, the girl forcing a confident grin as she faced his bewildered stare.

"But…how can that be…" The crow +anima was the first to look down. "The way I am right now isn't even the real me – remember?" He questioned, unusual bitterness in his voice. "That killer is. The human boy, 'Cooro', isn't even real…"

"Oh, come on… Stop talking like that!" Nana ordered. "It just sounds too strange! Of course you're real! Anyone saying that you don't exist or never did is nonsense! …After all, you're truly feeling pain right now, aren't you? I know that you are…"

Cooro just blinked with slightly widened eyes, giving a brief, dry nod.

The young woman, though, smiled satisfactorily. "Then that's good enough for me! You are real… As long as you have a heart that feels sadness, fear, anger, and warmth…then there's no possible way you couldn't be…"

"Definitely." Husky agreed. "I still don't really understand…but you shouldn't buy into all of this, Cooro. After all, you went three years without anything like this happening, right? And the only reason it did is because you two got into some pretty bad situations… There's no reason why it should ever have to happen again now."

"…Cooro…" Senri confirmed, giving the boy a nod as he sat down beside him as well, Husky doing the same.

Nana hesitated a moment more before she spoke again, searching for the right words. "…As long as you choose to fight… As long as you try to stay the way you are now, we'll stand beside you… If you don't give up on yourself, we won't give up on you, either." She reassured, a seriousness in her voice as her eyes caught his again.

"Err, I… I…" Cooro sputtered, struggling to find his voice under her stare, and the nods of his other companions.

"Do you promise?" The girl added during the pause, never moving her intense gaze away, even though a slight smile crept to her lips again. This time it was his turn to make a promise to her. "We want to help you… We want to save you… But you have to promise."

"I promise." He finally agreed softly, looking away. He still felt awful about getting them involved, even more so now, but the desperation in his heart couldn't help but want them near… He did want them to help him fight…he needed them. If he was on his own, he would lose. "I promise!" He repeated, his voice stronger. "I choose to fight…"

Nana passed him a satisfied smile once more, her expression warm as he managed to weakly return it.

Still broken and confused inside, the crow +anima couldn't find the words to say anything else, only wiping a few fresh drops of water from his cheeks as the four of them fell silent. They stayed like that for a while, gathered by the edge of the boat as day gradually turned to night.

"I can't wait to finally get back to the fortress…"

Nana's quiet, thoughtful words were the last spoken as they watched the fiery blaze illuminated across the water and sky slowly but surely dim, the group at last heading inside in an attempt to find sleep as the sunset faded and left the horizon dark with twilight.

* * *

_They're finally on their way back to safety, at least for now..._

_Please review and stay tuned!_


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Shifting Seasons

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_Now on to Chapter Eighteen! This is a very_ _long, busy chapter with lots of things happening._

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen:** Shifting Seasons

* * *

_The young boy, no older than eight, fell to his knees in the grass road that ran through the village, barely able to keep from collapsing. He supported himself with his palms, his eyes widening in disbelief and horror as his gaze drifted down to them through his light-brown hair. They were covered in crimson stains, and he could feel the same sticky, grim drops clinging to his face and clothes. Even the black feathers that drifted from behind him, lifted from his shaking wings by the slight breeze, were tainted with dots of red. His breath came sharply, his vision of the horrible scene getting drowned out by the tears that dampened his eyes, and distorted by the uncomfortable haze that pounded in his head. _

"_Sister…" He called softly, his small, young voice muted and trembling. "Sister! Sophia!" He frantically scanned the village for any sign of his sister. The same thing had happened to her, hadn't it? The last he'd seen…_

"_It's okay, Mirka, I'm here." A comforting, female voice soothed, a red-haired girl the same age as him coming up from behind. She was covered in the same horrible stains, her just slightly larger black wings spread out from her back as she padded forward. _

"_What have we done?" The boy, Mirka, wailed. "What have we done? They…they were… I didn't want to hurt them!"_

"_Don't cry now, brother…" The girl, Sophia, reassured, eerily unmoved by the grisly scene before them. "We haven't done anything wrong, but we need to leave."_

Not done anything wrong?

_He stood back up, abruptly moving away from her hand as she reached down to lead him away. "B…but…" The young boy argued. "But we…"_

"_Everything will be fine." The girl insisted. "This is how it's supposed to be, you don't need to be sad or afraid. We'll run away and be together, and then you'll see… I'll show you the power you have within you. Come, we must hurry."_

"_No!" Mirka shook his head. "We did something bad! We can't just leave!" He didn't understand what she was talking about – she sounded so grown up sometimes, speaking of things that made no sense to him, but he knew they couldn't just hide away after what they'd done. What had gotten into her? She was wrong this time!_

_The sound of angry, fearful shouts sounded before either of them could continue to speak, tearing their attention away from each other and to the shocked group that'd gathered. _

_They'd caught up with them. Now it was too late to run. _

"_There they are! There are the two killers!" A man accused. _

"_But they're just young children! How…? How could they have even…?" A woman sputtered._

"_The things they did weren't human!" Another man shouted, his voice trembling. "I saw them! I saw what they did! They're demons!"_

"_Their wings – they're like angels of death!" An older woman commented, her own accusation shaking._

"_Demons!" The second man repeated. "We have to get rid of them! We have to kill them! We can't have creatures like them here!"_

_Cheers of agreement stirred from the crowd, the two frightened, wide-eyed children unable to do anything as they closed in. Even if they fought, this was too many people to escape from. _

"_We need to purge them from here immediately! Ready the stake and the fire! We'll burn them now!" Another man, the head of the village, ordered, dragging them towards the middle of the village. _

_Burn…?_

_Mirka passed his sister a terrified, trembling glance as they were forced along, the fingers of the man that was holding him digging into his shoulders. Frightened, pleading tears streamed down his already dampened face._

_There was nothing they could do. There was no escape._

* * *

"_I…I'm sorry…" The young man pleaded, able to see a few red drops clinging to the dark blond strands of hair falling in front of his eyes. "I…I don't know what I… Why I… Please… Please believe, me… I –"_

_His words were caught short as his voice twisted in sudden agony, his eyes widening in pain as his body shuttered, crumbling to the ground. More crimson spilled over him, this time, his own. _

_He'd been stabbed. The man he'd been crying to had plunged a knife right through his stomach. He landed with a thud, landing awkwardly on the dark wings jutting from his back._

"_No, brother!" A woman's voice screamed in shock, her winged, brown haired figure running up to him. That was the last thing he saw before his eyes started to close._

_He briefly heard a cry from the man, but his hazy, throbbing mind didn't have the strength to comprehend it. _

_The woman bent over him, stretching her hands over his wounds. "It's okay…that man's gone… Just…just stay still… I'll heal you…" She assured shakily, but she was too late. Her words were the final sounds he heard. _

* * *

_A boy with soot black hair lay in the hallway, covered in a mixture of crimson that had come from both him, as well as others. _

_He couldn't move. All he could do was lay there, with his wings and limbs splayed awkwardly to his sides. His body wouldn't respond anymore. It didn't matter. He didn't deserve anything else, after what he'd done. _

She_ was dead. That black-winged woman was dead. They'd killed her._

_They'd killed him, though, too. He would die soon._

_He could feel a few feeble tears spill from his green eyes as they closed, never to open again. _

* * *

"_What have you done? How…how could you have…?" A girl sputtered, water dampening her gaze. "You really are a messenger of death!" She screamed angrily, glaring up at the red haired, black winged boy she'd once called her friend. _

"_I…" He sputtered, unable to defend himself. _

"_To think that you mingled among my family for so long – now my boy is dead because of you!" The girl's father screamed, snatching a large log from the fireplace. _

_The boy hardly had time to realize what'd happened as the man swung it against his head, everything fading to black as he fell to the floor. _

"_I'm… sorry…" He muttered one last time. It didn't change anything – simple words could never make up for what he'd done, but it was all he could do as the strength disappeared from his body, the life flowing away from his trembling figure as it was overtaken by complete stillness. _

* * *

_The dark-winged, brown haired boy let out a screech as he was thrown down, landing on top of the girl with curly black hair and wings slightly larger than his. She passed him an angry scowl, her voice coarse._

"_This. Is this what you wanted to happen?" She demanded as the guards surrounded them. "If you'd just come with me, this awful torment would've been over!"_

"_I won't ever come with you!" The young man spat back. "It doesn't matter what happens! I would rather this than hurt anyone else…"_

"_Silence!" A harsh, male voice spat, before turning to his comrades. "We will purge the demons from our town! We will rid ourselves of these messengers of death!" He stepped forward, blade out. "…I'll be the one to begin the execution."_

_The boy was only able to scream as the man brought the knife down, even the wail itself fading as everything abruptly cut to black._

* * *

"_Elizabeth… Elizabeth…no... No!" _

_The young man with short blond hair, a freckled face, and glasses hovered over the motionless form of the pale haired girl beneath him. _

"No!_"_

Don't take me lightly. If you keep refusing me, everyone that means something to you will end up just like this.

"_Nema…" He glared up at the black-winged, brown haired woman, absolute hatred burning in his eyes as the words she'd just spoken drifted through his head. "You…" He sputtered, his voice twisted in rage. "Elizabeth… You _killed_ her!"_

_The boy tightened his grip on the grimly stained knife that was still in his hands, all at once rushing towards the woman with a cry of rage, salty, pained drops of water dampening his face._

_She dodged easily with a flap of her wings, only passing him a cruel smile. "Don't be so angry at me. By fighting, you're the one that brought this on, 'Tilah'. And it was what you did to her father that made her run!"_

_The young man, Tilah, winced, shuddering. He'd never wanted to hurt her father! He'd never wanted to hurt anyone! This wasn't what was supposed to happen! He was supposed to have won! He was supposed to have freed himself, and gotten rid of this horrible witch! He wasn't supposed to have lost control…_

_He found his free hand rubbing across the pendant that dangled from his neck, the slight glow that emitted from it starting to flicker and wane as he struggled to fight off the haze that assaulted his mind. _

Elizabeth…

_Tilah all at once charged the woman again with a flap of his own dark wings, unleashing a blade of wind towards her feet. _

_Nema stumbled, taken off guard. This time she moved too slowly, not able to dodge as the young man swiped his knife across the base of her left wing. _

_She screamed, a sudden shiver of horror creeping up her spine. _

_Tilah himself was started for the moment, never having seen her eyes filled with such true fear. _

_He immediately charged again, only to be seared with a flare of blue fire as Nema spun around frantically with her palms outstretched. He quickly countered with fire of his own, an unexpected blast knocking both of them back as the flames collided. _

_Tilah recovered quickly, wasting no time in attacking while she was down. "I… Elizabeth…" Tears streamed down his face. She'd believed in him. She'd tried so hard to help him, only to watch her own father die. And now, she was… "I'll make you pay for what you've done to Elizabeth!"_

_He swung his knife down again in the direction of her wings, but Nema twisted to the side before it hit, screaming in pain as the blade ripped instead into her chest._

_Tilah's eyes widened, the young man quickly pulling out the blade and trying again for her wings. _

_The woman outstretched her palm once more before he could connect, whipping him with a wild, blazing plume of fire that burned with all the strength she had left. It was strong enough to be fatal. She had no other choice, now… She'd lost this round. _

_This time it was his turn to scream, falling back as he took the blow._

_His flesh stung and burned, Tilah only able to open his weak eyes long enough to see the woman's form fall limp. His own did soon after, both of them perishing that same autumn night as the realm of his consciousness finally started closing._

"_Elizabeth… I'm so, so sorry… I failed… I… No… No!"_

_He fought to move his limbs, to keep his gaze open, but it was no use. His body gave out with a last jerk, blackness devouring his senses. _

* * *

The dark haired boy gave a piercing scream as his eyes finally jolted open, widening to stare blankly at what looked like a dark ceiling. His frail figure was wrapped up in layers of sheets, lying beside a bed with numerous faces staring down at him and people gathered around.

"You're awake!" A strange female voice remarked in what sounded like relief, the unfamiliar cry barely registering in his mind.

What was this? What was going on?

Elizabeth!

His eyes widened in horror as an image of the girl's still, crimson stained body flickered through his mind.

"E…Elizabeth… Where's Elizabeth?" He sputtered, his gaze stretching even further as his heart started pounding faster.

"…What…?" The same female voice answered, bewilderment in its tone. "Elizabeth…? Who's…?"

"Where is she?" The boy suddenly spat, abruptly sitting up to face the woman who was speaking.

She had long, light-brown hair, he realized in the back of his mind, her own green eyes stretched as wide as his as she stared back at him. There were two other people hovering close – a boy with silver-hair, and a slightly older man with hair that was a dark shade of gray.

For a moment, something familiar flickered in his mind, but his panic forced it away, whatever thought it was abruptly disappearing.

He didn't know any of them. The last thing he remembered was lying in that forest… Why was he still alive? Who were these people? Where was he?

"_Where is she_?" He demanded again, practically screaming in desperation as they continued just staring back at him with shocked, confused faces. "Where is she?"

"Stop it!" The girl finally responded, her own voice loud enough to be heard over his cries. "Stop it… It's okay… Calm down…"

The dark haired young man just stared back at her with a look that almost resembled fear as she moved closer, trying to place a hand on his shoulder. "…Who are you…?" He accused, inching uncertainly away.

The girl froze, a sharp flicker of hurt tainting her clear green eyes as surprised showed in all three of their gazes. She paused for a moment, taken aback. A few seconds passed before she could find her tongue again. "It's…it's just me, Nana."

"…Nan…a…? I…I don't…" The boy rolled the name across his lips, shaking his head. No hint of recognition appeared in his eyes.

The girl just kept staring at him in shock. "Cooro…?"

"…Cooro…? Who's…?" The young man just kept shaking his head.

This time the three people gathered in front of him fell completely silent.

"W…what? N…no! I'm not…!" He sputtered, realizing what they were thinking. "My name's Tilah…"

The silence stretched on, their gazes widening even further.

"…'Tilah'? …Just how hard did you hit your head?" The boy with silver hair suddenly wondered aloud, breaking the uncomfortable stillness.

He just stared back at these strange people incomprehensively, hunched up against the wall with the bed-sheets still wrapped around him as they exchanged a few whispers.

Something seemed strange about himself, as well…

It was at that moment he noticed he wasn't wearing his glasses, and yet…his vision was perfectly clear. He quickly tensed, suddenly realizing that the messy strands of hair that had fallen in front of his eyes were dark instead of blond, and longer than they should've been, as well. "…W…what?" He stuttered nervously, his mouth falling agape as he frantically scanned over himself.

The boy jumped as he suddenly felt a hand on his trembling shoulder, looking up to find that the girl had moved closer again. "Cooro…come on, wake up!" She prompted. "It's us – Nana, Husky, Senri… You were just having a nightmare! You started screaming in your sleep a few minutes ago…"

"A…nightmare…?" He repeated, suddenly taking in a brief gasp as the distance in his eyes faded. "O…oh!"

All at once what they were saying made sense, the boy abruptly coming back to his senses as his nightmare's hold on him finally shattered. Of course he knew who they were! Of course he was Cooro! …And he'd just made a huge fool of himself.

Cooro's face flushed red in embarrassment, the boy not sure what to say as his panicked, fluttering heart finally started to slowly calm.

"…Hey…are you okay now?" Nana asked gently, trying to get him to look up. He just nodded. "Thank goodness!" She cried, giving him a brief, relieved embrace.

"What was that about? Who the heck is 'Tilah'?" Husky demanded. "You were scaring us there for a moment!"

"…Umm… I…I'm sorry!" Cooro blurted out as Nana released him, looking down shamefully. "Tilah…was someone from my dream… I…have a hard time waking up after nightmares, sometimes…" He answered vaguely, his gaze low.

"That had to have been more than just a normal nightmare!" The girl frowned. "You suddenly started screaming a little while ago! We tried to wake you, but you just kept struggling and crying out in your sleep… No matter what we did, you wouldn't wake up… You even knocked yourself out of bed and banged your head and elbow against the wall!"

"And me…" Husky complained, rubbing a slight bruise on his chest.

For the first few nights following the big disaster at the Astar, and their escape, Cooro had slept in his own bed. But with so many extra people on board such a small boat, supplies were scarce. After a few days of the boy seeming normal, he'd eventually been forced to squeeze into the same bed as his two male companions. The former guard had to admit that the idea had made him slightly uncomfortable, even though the crow +anima showed no signs of acting how he had at the prison.

He could still feel his heart racing faster, now – when he'd first felt the jab in his chest, he'd almost thought that his companion had switched back and he was being attacked. He'd actually given Cooro a hard, defensive smack across the face before he'd realized he was still asleep, but the boy didn't seem to notice it now, amongst his other bruises.

"O…oops!" Cooro sputtered, looking down again. "…Sorry…" He suddenly felt a few new aches, noticing a few drops of red on his elbow as he raised it up.

"Here…" Nana slowly got to her feet, reaching down a hand. "The captain must have bandages around here somewhere, let's go find some… Your ankles all right, isn't it?" She asked as he got up shakily.

"Umm…" The young man put weight on it carefully as he stood. It seemed a little sore, but it wasn't anything major – he could still walk. "Yeah…it's okay." He smiled.

"Good." The girl returned the smile, relieved that he seemed fine now. For a moment, she'd almost been afraid that he had some bizarre, third personality. Apparently, though, it really had just been a nightmare…

She turned back to the other, large group +anima in the cabin, most of them still watching. "It's all right, everyone. Back off!" She prompted as she led her companion towards where the captain would be. Their intense fear of Cooro seemed to have faded, but they were quick to get wide-eyed whenever he did something a little odd.

They walked quietly after that, the boy's eyes betraying that his thoughts were still somewhere distant.

"Cooro…" Nana started, a slight hesitation in her voice. "Who are Elizabeth and Tilah, anyway? Are they really just people from your dream?" She wondered, guessing what he was thinking about.

The boy instantly tensed. "Y…yeah, I guess…" He replied, not knowing what else to say – he didn't understand his nightmares any better than they would. "That's all…" He looked down again. "Err…actually, the changing rooms are right here, I think I'm going to go get cleaned up and dressed. Would you leave a bandage by the door for me if you find one?" He asked, already breaking away from his companion before she could answer.

He didn't want to talk about that right now.

* * *

Cooro sat on the floor in the corner of the small dressing room, his back leaning against the wall and his head resting tiredly on his knees. He had already changed into his day clothes, and had wrapped the small scrape on his elbow in the bandage Nana had brought – he just didn't feel like going back out there quite yet.

The horrible, haunting images from his nightmares wouldn't leave his mind.

It'd been five nights since that morning at the guard station. He'd been having nightmares of both kinds again since then – the disgusting, vivid desires and sensations he could associate with the way he'd become then, and the tragedies that played over in his mind where he had a different face and different name. He'd actually been having them to some degree ever since he'd first used his wings again by the crumbling cliff-side.

This time, though, it'd been different. That'd been more than one nightmare, and he'd witnessed tragedy after tragedy.

Through the years since these dreams had first began, he'd realized there were exactly six different identities he would wear in his nightmares. He'd seen all six that night, and, ultimately, had witnessed each of their ends.

He shivered, his heart still filling with horror as he recalled what he'd seen in his sleep. They almost felt too real to simply have been nightmares…

Who were those faces and names, anyway? Were they really just figments of his imagination and nothing more – alternate ways in which he pictured himself and the people around him in his dreams? After all, they all had wings like he did…and they'd all done things that were just awful. They were just like him – they all had their own alternate selves that they struggled to resist becoming, and strange, inhuman abilities. And, sometime during the nightmares he'd been having, he'd seen that they all had someone just like Catherine. Had his sleeping mind really just projected his own situation and fears into separate stories?

He bit his bottom lip, unconvinced. It made sense…but… Somehow, it almost seemed like more than just that. Had they been real people? Was he just seeing through their eyes? But…how could that possibly be?

Either way, these nightmares were getting harder to ignore. It was normal for him to feel a little disoriented after waking up from one of these dreams where he felt like someone else, but this morning had actually been scary.

Even when he'd become like he had that morning in Astar, he'd still remembered everything. He'd known who Nana and the others were, he'd remembered his name and his past, but… When he'd woken up this time, the memories of his life and self as 'Cooro' had been completely gone. For what had stretched into full minutes, he'd truly thought he was that man named Tilah. He still flushed slightly red at the thought, recalling the things he'd said and the astonished, bewildered faces of his companions.

Tilah… What had he been doing in that dream, anyway? He'd never seen that scene before.

That woman who played Catherine's role in his tragedy, he'd fought her, and…he'd _killed_ her! Even though he'd died as well, he'd actually managed to defeat that witch! Somehow, though, he didn't believe that just that had been his true goal, at least not in that way. He'd had something else in mind for her…

Cooro tried to focus his thoughts, summoning back images of what he'd witnessed in his sleep in that particular section of the dream. It seemed like he'd been going for her wings more so than anything else – the impalement had simply been an accident. Even when he'd made the fatal wound, he still hadn't felt satisfied. Why would that be, though? He'd killed her. What else could he have possibly been trying to do? Even if he had severed off her wings, what good would that have done? What was it this 'Tilah' had known?

There'd been that strange pendant on his neck, too, he recalled. The boy fiddled with his fingers below his throat, where such an object would've dangled if he'd been wearing it. Tilah had lost control of himself, but, in the end, he'd been able to fight away the haze long enough, even in that woman's presence, to actually use his own abilities to fight against her. How? Had that pendant had something to do with it?

_It's so strange… That pendant…there was…something… Why do I almost remember? Even though I'm awake?_

Cooro gave his head a quick shake, realizing that he was analyzing the situation as if he knew what he'd seen and those people had been real. It felt so vivid… But, in reality, there was really no way that could possibly be, was there? Why would he have that man's memories?

But…the truth of the situation he was already in seemed impossible enough. What if it somehow _was _real? What if Tilah _had_ been a real person?

That man had lost everything – the people close to him, and even his own life, but, he'd defeated his Catherine! If he could somehow learn what he had…would he be able to go against her himself? Could he take what Tilah had known, and avoid his mistakes? Could he discover the key to defeating Catherine?

A small, delicate hope bloomed in his chest.

If he could rid himself of her, would the haze in his head go away? Would that other him, that demon that was supposedly the 'real' him, disappear along with her? Could he live a normal life after all?

Cooro stopped, abruptly trying to push the thoughts and the longing smile that had appeared on his lips away. He shouldn't get his hopes up so much on nothing but a nightmare, of all things. Before anything else, he had to find out if there was any truth to his dreams at all.

He paused for a moment, wondering how he could find out what reality, if any, was reflected in his nightmares.

It still seemed a bit ridiculous, but he had to do _something_. After that first evening on the boat, his companions had been trying to act as if nothing had ever happened. They didn't want to face what he'd done, and what they knew now, and neither did he. And to make matters worse, he knew that Catherine was following them. He'd sense her every so often, just frequently enough to know that she was sticking close by. The act of healing him would've sapped her strength for a while, but it wouldn't be long now until she would be strong enough to make her move. He could be sure that was all she was waiting for. It was a wonder he got any sleep at all…

But…he wasn't going to run anymore, from any of it. After all, he'd made a promise.

A bittersweet smile appeared on Cooro's face. He'd spent the last three years doing nothing but running, but what good had that done? In the end, he hadn't been able to escape what he'd been so desperately afraid of. And if he couldn't run, then all that was left to do was fight.

He'd decided to live again. He would never be able to get rid of the guilt he felt, but no matter how much he suffered or punished himself, it wouldn't change what he'd done. It wouldn't bring the people he'd hurt back. As long as he was alive, he'd try to enjoy it like everyone else. After all, if he made the person he was now strong, maybe that was the best way to keep from losing himself.

"Cooro…? Are you still in there?" A familiar female voice suddenly asked, a quiet knock that sounded at the door pushing him out of his thoughts. "We've docked at a city along the coast. We needed to stop again to restock food for the rest of the trip today, remember? We're all getting off the boat for a while, you want to come too, don't you?"

The boy looked up at Nana's words, suddenly recalling what she was talking about. That's right. The captain had never expected to have to carry this many passengers back to the fortress, and they'd quickly run out of food. This was the second time they'd had to stop to restock. He'd gotten so disoriented this morning that he'd forgotten about the upcoming quick pause in their journey.

"Y…yeah, I want to come!" He decided, already getting to his feet.

Getting off the boat for a while couldn't do any harm, could it?

* * *

Cooro walked slowly through the main-street of the ocean-side city, padding along with Nana, Husky, and Senri.

It felt good to be able to walk beside them normally again, instead of having to rely on them to have to push him around. His pace still wasn't as fast, and he could tell they were purposely having to slow themselves down so as not to leave him behind, but at least he didn't feel like he was imposing quite as much, now.

The city itself was beautiful, and from the looks of it, quite wealthy. There were large, waterfront houses lining the coast-line, with abundant greenery bordering the cobblestone streets that housed the rest of the huge, ornate buildings.

They were in the business district, with all kinds of shops and restaurants open on both sides of their path.

"It sure is amazing here!" Nana commented brightly, clearly enjoying the atmosphere. It definitely was a nice break from being cooped up in that boat, and especially the cells they'd been kept in before that.

Cooro followed her gaze, a slight smile on his face. It felt strange to there… When he'd been locked up in Astar that night, he'd truly thought he'd never be able to see anything like this again… He wasn't supposed to have. Remembering that made the bustle and vibrancy of the village that much more wonderful.

"I wish we had some money to spend…" The girl sighed, looking longingly at the beautiful items and clothes displayed in the store windows, and at the inviting food other, more well-off people had at their tables. Cooro had to admit he wished they did, too – even just the scents drifting from the restaurants was enough to make his mouth water. It'd been a long time since they'd been able to enjoy anything like that.

"Well…we don't." Husky reminded simply. "We should really go help the others with loading the ship…"

Nana gave a slight sigh. "…You're no fun. But I guess you're right…" She admitted. "We'll probably be leaving soon…"

With that, her, Husky, and Senri turned slowly to walk back in the direction they'd come, but Cooro hesitated a moment longer, taking another glance around the business district.

"Umm…actually, I think I'm going to go see if there's a library around here… I'll meet you guys back there in a little bit, okay?" He decided, making his companions pause.

"By yourself?" Nana blinked. "What're you looking for?"

He tensed slightly. "Nothing, really. I just want to relax a bit longer while we're off the boat… I still can't do much lifting with my ankle, anyway, so I wouldn't really be able to help…"

There was a brief pause between his three old friends, as if they were wondering if it was really all right to let him go off alone. In reality, they had no right to try to control what he did, though.

"…Okay. I guess…" Husky replied. "We leave at noon, remember? So just make sure you're back before we have to go – we don't want to have to come looking for you."

"I will." Cooro nodded, before turning and hurrying off as fast as his injured ankle would carry him with a brief wave back. "See you later!"

* * *

Cooro stared around in amazement at the tightly filled shelves, intimidated by the number of books. The library seemed just as wealthy and elegant as the rest of the city. He wasn't quite sure where to start.

As enjoyable as it was just roaming the village, there had been a reason he'd wanted to visit the library.

The people whose lives he saw in his dreams had all been crow +anima, like him. That probably meant they'd all been tagged as 'messengers of death' like he had. And for some of them, as he'd seen, that'd played a in their tragic ends. He winced at the thought, shaking some of the images he'd witnessed away again.

And, in his nightmares, anyway, these other crow +anima all seemed to be just like him – they had the same strange abilities and they'd all done things they never wanted to do.

Was that really true for all +anima like him? Was he not so different after all?

Suddenly, he realized that he'd never even seen another crow +anima. Not that he remembered, anyway. Even Catherine's +anima was a raven instead of a crow. He'd seen many duplicates of other kinds, including those of his companions. On the ship alone, there were two other bat +anima and one other bear. Why no other crows? It's not like the birds themselves were hard animals to come by.

He felt a tint of loneliness he'd never noticed before appear at the edges of his senses. He suddenly wanted desperately to find one, and see for himself whether or not they were like him. He knew that wasn't going to happen, though. The best chance he had right now was books.

If that'd all really happened, and if +anima like him really had shown such strange abilities and behaviors, wouldn't something like that have been documented somewhere?

"Umm…" He slowly walked up to the front counter, noticing an elderly man sitting behind the desk. "…Do you have any books on +anima?" He asked timidly, feeling slightly awkward. He found himself absently fumbling with his shirt, making absolutely sure his shoulders were covered. They all had to be very careful not to reveal themselves, wandering around in a city like this…especially since they'd all come in such a big group. The last thing they wanted was to get sent right back to Astar!

"Sure." The librarian replied. "A lot of people have been asking for those recently, probably due to the whole revolt that those beasts are rumored to be starting. Such savage things! It's scary, isn't it?"

Cooro didn't say anything, trying to force a small nod.

"Anyway…" The man continued, getting out from behind his desk. "What kind of book are you looking for?"

"…Something that talks about different types." The boy explained, following the librarian up to one of the shelves.

"That kind of thing is divided into lots of different books…" The man explained. "What general type of species are you looking for? Predators? Rodents? Sea-animals? Birds? –"

"Birds." Cooro repeated, watching as the librarian took down a book. The man passed it to him.

"It's old." He commented. "But it's pretty in-depth. You should be able to find what you're looking for."

"All right. Thanks!" The boy nodded, before going to sit down.

He opened the dusky book, scanning the table of contents. He hesitated for a moment after seeing his own +anima listed, almost afraid of what he'd see. He'd already learned that attitude didn't do any good, though.

Cooro flipped through the pages, finding the article labeled 'Crow +Anima' at the top. Bracing himself, he started to read, skipping over the sections about appearance and markings while he waited for something to catch his eye.

_Along with that of the raven, there are many odd inconsistencies and stories surrounding this type of +anima – some of which are confirmed, and some of which are not. The first time both species were documented was in a small mountain village in Astaria, and the two children happened to be twins – we do not know if this is coincidence of not. The boy bore the +anima of a crow, and the girl bore that of a raven…the two were orphans of unknown background who'd grown up at a shelter in the town. However, when they were as young as eight, there was a tragedy in the village that took the lives of the orphanage attendant and town doctor, and the people claimed it was the children who'd used some form of witchery to commit the murders. We do not know whether or not the children had any part in the crimes, but what is confirmed is that the villagers were quick to proclaim them as 'angels of death', and burn them at the stake. The children's names were Mirka and Sophia, and their story is the most clearly defined. _

Cooro abruptly stopped reading, his eyes wide. "…Mirka…and Sophia…?" They were…! And 'some form of witchery'? Was that referring to…?

It was his dream! It was just like it! The young boy named Mirka had been real!

He found his eyes drifting down to the bottom of the page, where there was an artist's rendering of the two children's execution.

A sudden, sharp shiver ran down his spine as he saw the terrified, agonized face of the small boy, the fire wrapping itself around his helpless, struggling form.

Cooro's whole body gave an abrupt shudder as the young man took in a rough gasp, more images of that tragedy all at once rushing through his mind. He could hear the jeers of the crowd and the crackling of the hungry fire as screams tore from his lungs, smoke chocking his breath as the flames licked at his legs, slowly working their way up with hot, intense pain.

Gasping for breath, he ran his fingers thoughtfully over the old picture and the small figure of the boy as he managed to push the images in his mind away, realizing that a few tears were dampening his cheeks. …He was crying. Why was he crying?

The crow +anima forced back the water threatening his gaze, giving his eyes a quick, dismissive wipe as he turned the page.

_No other documentation of this species has ever been completely confirmed. This can lead to the conclusion that they lack the numbers of other +anima. This in and of itself is quite odd, considering that crows themselves are quite a widespread and common bird. Ever since the incidence of Mirka and Sophia, however, stories about them being 'messengers of death' have been passed down, and even a few more strange, similar tragedies have been reported by people claiming to have witnessed this type of +anima. These people also claim to have seen these +anima suddenly turn violent and use 'powers like demons' even against people they once called allies. These reports are neither confirmed nor denied, but are rather hard to believe scientifically. No +anima should grant its bearer any ability greater or different than that of which its animal is capable of. Other strange, unconfirmed beliefs and stories are often heard of. Due to the lack of their numbers, and because no reports of sighting two different +anima of this species have ever occurred in the same period, some people believe that only one can exist at a time – that the one living must die before another can be created. Also, interestingly, in all reported sightings, crow +anima have always been male, and raven +anima have always been female , giving people another way to tie the oddities of this species back to the original two children. However, this is far more likely to be a coincidence caused by the lack of a large enough sample. As soon as we are able to solve the cause of their small numbers, and obtain a proper research sample, these mysteries will likely be solved and resolve themselves as myths._

Cooro let the book drop to his lap as he finished the article, hardly able to believe everything he'd just read. Suddenly turning violent? Powers like demons? According to these 'myths', other crow +anima had indeed been just like him. But…what about the rest of it? Could there really only be one at a time? Was he really the only one alive right now?

The feeling of loneliness crept back into his consciousness. In a way, he'd found out that, indeed, he wasn't so different at all, but…in another way, he'd discovered that he was more different than he'd ever imagined…

And what about his dreams? Judging from what he'd heard about 'Mirka', it seemed like they might be true after all. He knew their lives. All of them. Judging by when the book was written, if only one crow +anima existed at a time, then it would make sense that the six faces he'd seen in his dreams had been those of each of them who'd come before him. But, how was it even possible that he could see that? Why did he know what happened them?

Visions of the fight the man called Tilah had engaged in with the woman like Catherine, probably a raven +anima that came before her, he realized, if it was the same for that +anima as well, came back to him.

He needed to go there – where Tilah had lived.

If this was all to be believed, then Tilah was the one who'd directly come before him, judging from his nightmares and some instinct that told him so. And if his dreams were indeed showing him reality, it did seem there was something he could learn from him.

"He lived in Willowind Village…a town at the base of the mountains that overlook the sea." Cooro suddenly announced to no one in particular, not even sure how he knew.

His head hurting slightly, the boy let his gaze drift blankly out the window, staring at the harsh shadows the sun was casting on the busy streets from its midpoint in the sky.

Cooro all at once tensed as something clicked in his mind. It was noon. He'd lost track of time, and was probably already a bit late.

He instantly got up as quickly as he could, holding the book to his chest.

_What should I do with this book…? I should return it – I doubt I'll be back anytime soon…but… I'd like to show this to Nana… _

He glanced over at the desk, noticing the librarian intently sorting through the loose papers set in front of him.

Leaving without a word, Cooro exited the library, book in hand as he hurried to meet up with his companions.

* * *

Cooro took in a sigh of relief as he opened the door to the large food store the captain was purchasing from, catching sight of Nana, Husky, and Senri talking near the edge of the main hall. At least they were still there – he'd hurried as fast as his ankle had allowed, having managed to break into a clumsy run down the cobblestone street that lead through the city.

Not wanting to discuss it yet, he placed the book he was carrying in the bag on his belt before darting the rest of the way towards them. "Nana! Husky! Senri!" He called as he approached, grabbing their attention as he came to a halt next to them, panting.

"Cooro, there you are! You're late! We were just about to come looking for you!" Husky complained, passing the dark-haired boy an irritated look.

"S…sorry…" He apologized once more. "I kind of lost track of time…"

Nana gave her head a brief, dismissive shake. "It's all right. The others are still loading the last few supplies at the dock nearby. But what were you doing for so long?"

"Err… Nothing really…just looking through the books…" Cooro answered dryly, neither feeling quite ready to nor sure of how to bring what he'd discovered up.

"Well…we should get going, then. I'm sure the captain and everyone else will be ready to go soon – we don't want to make them wait for us." The former guard prompted, already turning to leave the building through the opposite exit as the others nodded.

The crow +anima was about to follow, when a sharp, burning rush of pain seared through him from his shoulder blades. He let out a startled gasp, whipping around with wide, frightened eyes.

"…Cooro?" Nana abruptly paused along with the others, feeling a tinge of alarm herself as she looked back at him.

"It… It's Catherine!" He announced breathlessly, taking a few uneasy steps back.

He'd felt her presence weakly during the entire time they'd spent on the ship. She'd been keeping her distance then, but… He could feel his heart rate start to pound, anxiety shortening his breath.

Now she was suddenly coming closer – fast!

Of course! He cursed internally. Healing him had made her weak, but by now she'd probably recovered most of her strength. It must also have been the crowded number of +anima on the boat that'd been keeping her away… Now, though, the area of the city around the market they were in was pretty empty. She'd probably somehow seen him come that way, and decided to seize the chance.

"W…what?" Nana stuttered, her own eyes widening as a shiver shot down her spine.

"S…she's… She's coming…" Cooro warned shakily, his hands beginning to tremble as reality started sinking in. Getting away from her had been too easy, and sure enough she wouldn't let it stay that way… He'd been naïve to try to hope so. He shivered, recalling what'd happened between them the last time he'd seen her. What was she going to do to him now? "She's coming! You…you have to hide! You all have to hide!"

"…Hide?" Nana blinked. "But…what about…?"

The boy clenched his fists determinedly, turning back to face her.

That's right. He wasn't going to run this time!

"I'll be fine." He assured. "She'll hurt you, but she won't hurt me."

"But…" Nana started slowly, a look of unpleasant unease on her face as she looked him right in the eyes. "But…what if you…?"

Cooro just shook his head, realizing what she was asking. "I won't let that happen again! I promise! I'll be okay… Just please, hurry and hide!" He begged frantically, his heart only beating faster as the throbbing in his shoulders continued to increase.

Nana stared at him a moment longer, holding his gaze as she searched his eyes. Just leave him? Leave him with that witch? It was only five days ago that they'd almost lost him, when their old friend had almost become someone else. And now that horrible woman was coming back to take him away…

A fresh, renewed surge of anger rushed through her, heating up her veins. She'd already taken the person she'd called the closest thing to a mother, her peaceful home on the orchard, her old, comfortable life – now she was coming back to take the last thing she could from her!

She could feel water start to dampen her gaze as she kept staring at the familiar figure of the boy she'd spent the last few weeks alone with, an ache starting to well in her chest. How could he be sure she wasn't going to be able to steal him away? How could he promise? What if...what if those brown eyes meeting her own changed forever?

"Cooro…please…" Nana begged desperately, barely feeling the tears that started to run down her cheeks. "I…I don't want to lose you…" There was a fear in her voice that startled even the girl herself, taking her companion by surprise.

His gaze never faltered, though. "You won't." The boy assured simply, forcing a confident, reassuring smile across his face.

"Nana, come on!" Husky suddenly called from where he stood a few feet away with Senri. "He's right – we need to get away from here. We'll come back as soon as we hear her leave."

The girl passed a last, concerned glance at her dark-haired old friend, her fluttering heart still unconvinced.

"Hide, quickly!" Cooro repeated urgently. "I'll see you all soon, all right?"

"All right…" Eventually the young woman just nodded, biting her lip as she turned and followed her other two companions, the three of them hurrying down the stairs to the basement of the store.

_Nana…all of you… Just please…hide where she can't find you… And where I can't either, in case I…"_

No! He wouldn't think like that! That wasn't going to happen! He wouldn't let it! After all…he'd just given his word to Nana. He wouldn't lose himself again!

Stronger, throbbing pain spread from his shoulders and down his arms as she came closer still, the thought sending a fresh, sudden wave of panic into his mind.

Cooro all at once turned and rushed down the hallway, towards what he figured was the food preparation area. Without being able to use his wings, he couldn't use his own abilities against hers. He had to have something to defend himself with!

Shoving away a few unopened bags along with boxes of cut meat and produce, he managed to find a knife lying on the table, a moment of hesitation passing before he slowly picked it up.

It was sharp – probably a butcher knife, made to cut through flesh.

He froze as he saw the silver glint in hands, unpleasant memories playing over again in his mind like scenes from a nightmare – the sound of the blade tearing through that man's body, the sensation of the warm, crimson liquid splattering his face…

No… He insisted to himself again. It wasn't going to be like that this time. He wasn't going to hurt anyone except her!

Feeling Catherine reach the area just outside of the building, he hide the knife at his belt and hurried back to the main hall. He struggled to keep himself from placing his hands on his burning shoulders, forcing his shaky, unsteady limbs to stand firm. He was going to be strong! He wasn't going to cower. He wasn't going to cry. This time he wouldn't let her see a single tear!

Cooro tensed as the sound of large, beating wings reached his ears through one of the open windows, flinching as he heard her feet hit the porch and approach the entrance.

The door swung open, Catherine abruptly pushing it aside as her eyes opened wider. She hadn't expected to find him waiting right there.

A fake smile crossed her lips as she recovered, taking a few steps closer to him. "Well now…there you are. I seem to recall you saying you'd meet me near the exit of the guard station, no?"

Cooro dug his fingernails into his palms. "Go away, just leave me alone! I'm not coming with you." They were things he'd said to her so many times before, but this time he tried desperately to keep the usual fear out of his voice, keeping his eyes narrow and cold.

Catherine frowned, shaking her head. "That isn't what you told me that morning…" Something almost resembling pity showed on her face, her voice softening as genuine regret appeared in her tone. "My poor brother – you've fallen back into your disguise, haven't you?" Her determined smile returned. "But I'll set you free again!"

"I am free!" Cooro insisted fervently. "This is who I want to be! This is my life – and I won't let you steal that from me!"

The black-winged woman stared at him for a moment, the boy not flinching under her gaze. His human mask had only repaired itself just a few days ago after being shattered, but…something about it seemed…different. "My brother… What have they done to you? That stupid girl – how did she manage to trap you like this again?" Her gazed narrowed dangerously. "Where are they? Where's that girl?"

This time Cooro did wince. "They're not here." He answered simply, catching himself. "They're not here, and I won't let you hurt them!"

Catherine cocked her head mockingly. "And just how do you plan to stop me, 'Cooro'?"

The young man didn't answer right away, meeting her gaze with eyes full of unbridled hatred. "I'm not scared of you anymore, Catherine. I won't let you hurt them, and I won't lose myself to you! I've run from you long enough – I won't anymore! Now that I know I can't escape, all that I have left to do is fight. I'll defeat you! I'll find a way! I swear I will!"

Not scared of her… That wasn't true, of course. He was absolutely terrified, but he wouldn't be a victim of his fear any longer.

This time the woman seemed irritated, letting out a slight grunt. Not acknowledging him with a comment, she glanced around the room, searching for anywhere where someone could easily hide. A wry smile suddenly appeared at the edges of her lips as she caught the boy take a subconscious, nervous glance towards the basement door out of the corner of her eye. There they were.

"They're down there, aren't they?" She asked, his tense, startled reaction already telling her the answer.

"N…no!" Cooro spat defensively, cursing himself for not keeping his gaze still. "No! They're not here! They're back at the ship, with everyone else! I went off on my own and ended up coming back late… I'm by myself!" He could feel his heart start to pound faster, trying desperately to convince her.

Catherine though, just gave a slight, mocking giggle. "Well then…there's no harm in me having a look, is there? Getting rid of them is for your own good, you know – they're keeping you from becoming who you really are. They're keeping you trapped…" She explained simply, already heading towards the basement door. She ignored Cooro's wordless sputter, and frightened, wide-eyed stare as she passed, quickly turning the door knob. A frown came across her face in frustration a moment later, though – it was locked. The boy's wretched companion's must've secured it on their way down!

Oh well… No matter. The black-winged woman took a step back, a small light materializing in her palm as she prepared to thrust it up.

"No! Stop!" Cooro suddenly screamed, quickly darting in front of their door and outstretching himself protectively in front of it. There was no use in trying to pretend they weren't there, anymore…

Catherine narrowed her eyes, realizing what he was doing. As long as he was standing there, she wouldn't be able to break down the door without hurting her target – and she didn't want that! But the human part of him was a coward. Surely he'd move, if he really thought she was going to strike, wouldn't he?

"Out of the way! Move!" She shouted in warning, all at once thrusting out her palm.

But he didn't move.

Cooro just winced as the blade of wind burst through the air towards him, letting out a painful gasp and shriek as it struck him in the chest. He fell with his back leaning against the door, a brief splash of crimson spilling on the floor below.

The woman's breath caught for a moment, her heart skipping a beat. That stupid boy hadn't gotten out of the way! Had she just…?

She relaxed slightly, though, as she saw his head slowly raise up again, his eyes still glaring at her defiantly as he slowly struggled back up to his feet. He held a hand over the wound on his chest, remaining steadfast in front of the door. "I'm not moving, no matter what you do! There's no way I'm letting you through here!" He insisted, his tone not softening despite the pain evidenced by his breathing. "I'm not letting you hurt anyone I care about again – I'd rather die myself! I will find a way to defeat you, I swear!" He repeated, his voice unusually full of hatred.

Catherine paused for a moment, just staring at him as he continued glaring at her, his eyes blazing with despise and determination. For a brief moment, she was actually taken aback, not immediately sure what to do. Thankfully, the angle at which the attack had hit him seemed to have saved him from taking much damage…the wound seemed mostly superficial. He would recover on his own…but… She couldn't keep striking him – it wouldn't take a whole lot to destroy his frail, human form. With him acting this way, though, what could she do?

Gritting her teeth slightly, she suddenly strode all the way up to him. "Enough!" She spat. "I'm tired of hearing this nonsense spew from your mouth! Until you let go of your human veil, you'll never be strong enough to match me! And I won't ever let you go! I had you! Your mask was broken! Let's not play this again, just come with me!"

She reached out her arms, placing her palms directly over his throbbing shoulders before he could pull away.

Cooro swallowed a scream, his mouth falling agape as he chocked in the sound. He started to crumble to his knees as the pain tore through him, his wings begging to burst from his burning shoulders.

He wouldn't let them! The moment he did, he would lose everything, including himself!

The boy stayed like that for a few moments longer with his breath coming short, struggling to get his shaking, tingling hands to his belt.

Catherine all at once let out an anguished shriek. She fell back in surprise, crimson spilling from just below her throat as she was overtaken by pain of her own.

Cooro struggled to recover, still panting and trembling as he forced his throbbing body to stand. In his hands was the knife he'd grabbed, stained red and grasped tightly in his palm as he glared defiantly down at her.

The black-winged woman stared up at him in shock, her eyes wide. He'd… He'd just… He'd never hurt her before, not once! This was the first time blood had spilled between them… This was all different! He'd always defied her, but he'd succumbed and cried underneath her, his voice broken and afraid as he begged her to stop. He wasn't the same, now. What _had_ they done to him? No! This wasn't going to end like…

"You…" She snarled, holding an arm to the gash as she sat, hunched over the floor in pain. "You bastard! You aren't my brother! What have they done to you?" She screamed. "I had you! _I had you!_ You'd gone back to yourself! Why have you become this again? After all this time, why did I have to lose you again? Stop this! Stop trying to be this disgusting, human filth!"

Cooro's eyes stretched even further as her voice rose, fighting against the desire to step back. He'd never seen her like this… A sudden hope started flaring brighter in his chest. Something had changed, just now. Things had turned around. This time it was her that sounded broken and desperate, with words that reminded him a bit of Nana's on that awful morning.

Catherine could feel her own fists clench, struggling to control her rage. She wanted to kill that human. She wanted to outstretch her palm, this time aimed with fatal strength directly at him, and hear his bones crack and flesh tear as he fell to the ground in a satisfying mess of red. But he _was_ her brother. That was him, like it or not. And the moment she killed her target, she would lose her own game. And after nineteen years, she wasn't ready to start it over.

She glared at the knife in his hand, crimson still spilling from her wound and dripping over her arm. She couldn't stay. She couldn't try to break him like this! She was losing this match…and she was afraid that she might snap if she kept trying. She needed to withdraw. For now.

Catherine forced herself to her feet, passing him a final, determined stare. "I will break your mask. I will get rid of the ones holding you back. I will save you. I will free you. That I can promise."

With that, she abruptly turned and spread her wings, taking to the air somewhat clumsily as she carried herself to the door. She flew through the exit before Cooro could say anything else, the boy simply left to watch her leave.

He fell to his knees as her black-winged shape was swallowed up by the sky, his heart still pounding and his fingers still clenching the knife as his body kept trembling.

_I… I did it! I faced her. I got her to leave myself! I…_

"Cooro!"

The boy was thrown out of his thoughts, a smile coming to his face at the sound of Nana's relieved voice. He couldn't even get back to his feet before the girl raced up and lightly threw her arms around him, careful of the wound on his chest. "You're all right!" She cried, her green eyes damp. "Thank goodness you're all right! I'm so glad…"

She paused briefly as her fluttering heart slowly started to calm down, moving back slightly to look him in the eyes. They still held the same familiar gaze as when she'd left, shaken, but filled with human warmth. Catherine had lost.

Nana's thankful smile only grew wider. "That was amazing, Cooro! We could hear what was going on from where we were hiding in the supplies downstairs! You did it! You got her to leave!" Her grin faded slightly, though, as her eyes suddenly fell to the red seeping from beneath his shirt. "…The wound she gave you isn't too bad, is it?"

Cooro shook his head. "No…I don't think it's that deep."

"Good…" Nana nodded, her relief coming back. "…It was brave of you to stop her like that…"

"And it sounded like you messed her up pretty badly, too." Husky commented. "Hopefully that means she'll leave us alone for a while."

Senri nodded in agreement, giving Cooro a brief embrace of his own.

The boy found himself beaming under the praise of his old friends, a smile on his face despite what he'd just gone through. He wasn't quite sure if he had a right to feel so proud of himself, but he did feel a slight, new sense of worth and satisfaction well up within him – something he hadn't felt for a long time.

"I've decided that I'm not going to run from her anymore, as long everyone else can stay safe, I'm going to fight!" He announced to his companions. "I'm not going to keep letting myself hide, from any of it…including myself." He suddenly paused as his voice trailed off, passing a glance down at the knife that was still in his hands. He slowly raised it up and slashed the shoulders of his shirt, exposing the +anima markings that had previously been veiled beneath them.

He instantly regretted the move the second he'd done it. Showing his markings didn't seem natural, anymore. He suddenly found himself feeling vulnerable and awkward, but he tried to smile as his old friends passed him looks of surprise. They seemed impressed – he couldn't take it back now.

None of them said anything for a few minutes, Nana coming up and giving him another light hug as she let his head rest on her shoulder.

"Come on." Husky sighed after a few moments, coming up and giving him a light, good-natured nudge. "We should all hurry back. I'm sure the captain's wondering what's happened to us by now."

"Right." Nana nodded slowly, along with Senri. She was still shaken, but she passed Cooro another warm, relieved smile, letting go as they turned for the exit.

The girl took a deep breath, trying to calm the terrible fear she'd felt as the four of them hurried for the dock.

Thank goodness he was okay…

* * *

Cooro sat near the edge of the boat, staring up at the mostly blank night sky. It was a chilled, cloudy evening, and there wasn't much to see, but something about the sky always seemed to soothe him when he needed it.

A lot had happened that day.

He let his head drop against the railing, still exhausted from his conflict with Catherine. His new injury had been bandaged, as well, but he could still feel a slight sting coming from it, as well as from the wound he'd taken on his head that morning, and his still sore, perhaps a bit currently overused, ankle. It was only the sound of the door to the cabin opening that kept him from closing his eyes.

The boy could tell from the light, familiar rhythm of the footsteps that it was Nana who emerged onto the deck, the young woman not saying anything until she came up next to him.

"There you are…" She announced quietly, having been looking for him a few moments ago – he hadn't told anyone he was stepping outside, like he usually did. "You come out here a lot…don't you?" She observed, passing him a warm smile.

Cooro returned the expression. "I like to come out here a bit every night." He commented. "It feels so much freer out here…"

"I suppose it does…" Nana gave a thoughtful nod, gazing up at the sky herself as she sat down next to him. "Do you mind if I join you for a bit?"

The boy just shook his head, not vocalizing how happy he was to have her company.

They stayed comfortable silent for a while as they rested, enjoying the calm sounds of the waves against the haul and the rhythm of each other's breathing.

Cooro wished it could stay like that forever. The lulling peacefulness of the night made it hard to believe everything he was facing, fighting off the anxiety in his heart. There were a few, nagging thoughts in his mind that he needed to bring up, though.

He sighed, hating to end illusion. "Umm… We're getting pretty close to the fortress now, aren't we?"

"Yeah." Nana nodded. "I think the captain said we'll be there about three days from now. It's hard to believe that we'll finally get to go back…" It'd been a long time now since her and Cooro had left from that supposedly short trip across the mountain trail. It seemed almost unbelievable that they'd survived everything since then, and were finally returning home from their last departure.

"A…actually…" Cooro started slowly, not quite sure how what he was going to say would go over. "There's somewhere else I'd like to visit… It's on the way there, I think."

The girl passed him a surprised, curious glance. "Hmm…? Where is it that you want to stop?"

"…It's a place called Willowind village…" The young man started slowly. "It's a small village below a mountain range that borders the sea, on the ocean side, I think. I'm pretty sure it's close to the fortress – it must be the same mountain range. If the captain could find it, you could just drop me off there alone and go on ahead. I could meet you at the fortress a few days later."

"What?" Nana suddenly sat up straighter. "…Alone? We can't just let you off alone! What about Catherine? And the guards…they're probably out in full force searching for us! What is it in this village you want to see so badly?"

"It's…" Cooro bit his lip, hesitating for a moment. "…Some people called Tilah and Elizabeth used to live there…"

Nana's eyes suddenly stretched wider, the girl quickly remembering the names from that morning. "Tilah and Elizabeth…? Aren't they…aren't they the people you said were from your dream? Are you saying they're real, now? Who are they?"

"They _were_ from my dream…but…" The boy paused, his voice trailing off. He reached into the bag tied to his belt, pulling out the book that was still there. "Here…look at this. It's a book I found at the library back at the city." He prompted, passing her the open book as she gave him a brief, strange glance.

She held it up, trying to get the candlelight shining through the windows to illuminate the pages enough to read. "A…book about +anima? What is this?" She asked incredulously, surprised that he'd have such a thing.

"I…wondered if I was the only one who's ever go through all this, so I looked up crow +anima in the book to see what was documented. According to it, I'm not the only one at all! It sounds like they've all had the same abilities I do, and had the same things happen to them…"

"Really?" Nana blinked, wide-eyed. "You mean that all crow +anima are…? Are you sure? That sounds a bit…" She stopped, not wanting him to take her words the wrong way.

Cooro, though, just shrugged. "I don't know…" He answered quietly. "You've never seen another one before, have you?"

She paused for a moment, trying to remember. "No…actually… Just you."

"But, see here?" The boy added, pointing to the picture and names at the bottom of the first page in the section. "Mirka… I've seen him in my nightmares, I know exactly what happened to him…" He hesitated briefly, trying to find the right words as Nana passed him another strange, surprised glance. "I have these odd, awful dreams sometimes…" He started. "I have for years. In them, I feel like I'm somebody else, another crow +anima…and like I'm living a different life. Mirka is one of the people whose lives I've seen in my nightmares, and it seems like he _was_ real. I think…that must mean the others were, too… Tilah was another one. He tried to fight his Catherine, and he killed her, but he and everyone around him ended up dying, too… If he was real, though, I still think I might be able to learn something from him. I want to see what he left behind…"

The girl didn't say anything at first, trying to comprehend what he was saying. Dreams where he thought he was someone else? Someone who, apparently, had actually existed once? How bizarre… Could something like that actually happen? She didn't argue with the strange concept, though – she'd heard and seen so many unbelievable things already that she didn't see why she should doubt this now, and she knew her dark-haired companion wouldn't have said such a thing if he didn't truly believe it. She squinted, trying to read the pages herself. "But… How do you know what village to go to, or where it is? Have you been there before?"

He shook his head. "No… I just…know, somehow…" He bit his lip again, only able to hope she'd believe him. "It's like…even when I'm not dreaming, I can sometimes remembering things about them…small flashes here and there. It's so strange…"

Nana just sighed as his voice trailed off. "Well…we can talk to the captain and see if he'll stop – if, for whatever reason, you think it might help us get rid of Catherine, then I think it's definitely worth checking out! I'm coming with you, though!" She decided stubbornly.

"B…but…" Cooro sputtered. "You don't have to…I know it's out of the way… I'll be okay by myself…"

The young woman just shook her head. "It's not that big of a problem…" She insisted. "As long as we stay away from the guards as much as we can, we aren't in that big of a hurry to get back. I _want_ to come with you…and I'm sure Husky and Senri will, too."

"…Thanks." The boy answered quietly, not arguing anymore. The thought secretly gave him a bit of relief. In a way, it would be easier to not have to worry about Catherine hurting his companions if she decided to show up, but, on the other hand, he felt it was having them beside him that gave him the strength to face her. In reality, he was a bit scared to be alone.

It was when something caught his eye that he looked up again, the boy suddenly sitting up straighter as he gazed curiously at the sky. A tiny, white shape was slowly descending, dancing lightly on the chilled ocean breeze as it fell. He held out his palm, the pale flake dissolving into water as it landed in his hand. "It's…snowing." He suddenly announced, getting a surprised Nana to look up as well.

A few more white flakes were dropping from the thick, cold clouds above, slowly starting to increase in number as they fell softly to the waves below. They were illuminated slightly by the dim moonlight that was struggling to shine through the haze and the candlelight coming through the ship window, filling the sky with a pale, uneven glow.

"…The first snow of winter." Nana realized, holding out a palm herself as the flakes descended. "It's beautiful…"

A small smile came to her lips a few moments later, something else clicking in her mind. "It was the first evening of autumn that I found you there in my orchard…remember?" She commented thoughtfully. "I guess this means that it's been about a full season that we've been together, now…"

"Yeah…I guess so…" Cooro nodded as he turned towards her, memories playing in his own head. So much had happened since that one night…it'd made autumn go by fast.

"You've changed a lot since then…" Nana observed gently, giving him a smile. He really had. An image of his terrified, broken face staring nervously back up at her from behind that tree flashed into her mind. He really hadn't been anything but an empty shell, then. But the face looking back at her was different, now. He wasn't like that anymore.

"…Have I?" He blinked, unsure. He felt like he had, though. Being with them again had made him feel different – it'd connected him with something besides his fears, and with a part of himself he'd thought he'd left behind a long time ago…

Nana nodded. "It seems like you're starting to find yourself again… You're not as weak as you always thought you were. Even through everything that's happened, and everything you've been told, you've still managed to pull yourself back together and stay strong… I don't think most people could do that."

Cooro just smiled as she finished, unable to find the words to answer. He looked away as a slight redness came to his face, finding himself feeling awkward looking at her eyes.

Nana watched him for a moment longer, until a slight, pink tint came to her own face. "Umm…" She started hesitantly, her voice nervous. "There's actually something I've been wanting to ask you, too… Did you…did you mean what you said that night at the prison in Astar? I mean…when you said that you…?" She trailed off, feeling her own flush deepen.

She'd been avoiding that question, even though it'd been playing over and over in her mind. In the days following the incident that morning, she'd actually felt a bit wary around him, how could she have not? But…now, she realized, she felt perfectly peaceful and content. There was no reason to avoid it any longer.

Cooro's eyes widened, his cheeks turning even redder as he realized what she was asking. He instantly remembered what she was referring to, that moment burned vividly into his memory.

_I love you, Nana…_

He remembered speaking the words, burying his face against her as he wept.

Secretly, he'd hoped she'd somehow forgotten amidst the chaos when she hadn't mentioned it later. The truth was, he never would've said that if he'd thought there'd even been a chance that his heart would still be beating the next day. He hadn't realized he'd survive to have those words haunt him. …After all, there was no way she could ever return his feelings… What would she do if he said yes?

"Err… I…" He looked straight down at the ground as he spoke, his heart pounding. He couldn't quite bring himself to answer, his voice falling silent again and his gaze unable to meet hers.

"It's all right – just tell me…" Nana prompted softly, feeling her own heartbeat flutter. "It's not like I'll be mad either way…"

Cooro swallowed hard, trying to get the words to form on his tongue. "Of…of course I did! Of course I meant it!" He suddenly sputtered, just spitting it out. "I…I mean…you're…" She was wonderful! Not only had she turned into a beautiful young woman, but she was brave and smart as well…two qualities he'd never really attributed to himself. She'd stood by him this whole time… Even after everything he'd done, in the end, she'd always believed and forgiven him… He was blessed to have someone like her. "I…" He abruptly stopped without finishing, realizing he was only embarrassing himself more.

There was an awkward silence for a few moments after that, both of their faces red as he gazed back down at the ground and she just stared at him with wide-eyes, unsure of what to say.

"I…I'm sorry…" The young man suddenly sputtered, still looking down. "You probably didn't want to hear that from someone like me, did you? It probably seems disgusting to you…that I… I'm sorry…!" He apologized again, shameful sadness tainting his brown eyes.

"W…what?" Nana blinked, finally finding her voice. "N…no! It's not at all! It's not disgusting at all!"

"B…but…" The boy argued. "I'm… I'm just a piece of trash! I…" He broke off, the situation seeming to make his recent confidence vanish as a few tears started dampening his gaze.

Nana frowned, recalling hearing him say that once before. It made her sad to hear him call himself such a thing again. "No. You're not. You're definitely not!" She insisted sternly, shaking her head. "And you said you'd stop saying things like that about yourself, remember?"

Cooro didn't answer, still staring at the ground with damp eyes that weren't quite able to meet hers. "But…being what I am, how can I mean a thing to anybody? I don't have a right to feel such things… It's…not fair to you…"

"D…don't be stupid! Don't talk like that! You…you mean a lot to me! A…actually…I… I think I…" She hesitated, her face blushing bright red as she struggled to form the words. "I… I love you too, Cooro!"

She blurted the words out, another awkward silence settling in as the boy instantly raised his head, his face red and mouth agape as he stared at her in disbelief. It lingered a moment longer, this time both of their eyes meeting.

Nana struggled not to move her gaze away, hardly able to believe what she'd just said. If someone had told her eight years ago she would ever speak those words, she would've laughed. She'd always been close to him, but she'd never thought of him that way before. Ever. There'd been a time when she'd toyed with ideas about Husky, and fleetingly, even Senri, but never him. She'd never would've thought they'd meet again eight years later only for things to end up this way.

"W…what…? But…" Cooro eventually stuttered, still stunned. "But…you can't be… You can't…you can't really mean that…" He protested, unable to believe what he'd just heard. Why would she say something like that? There was no way…

"I do." She answered simply, looking away briefly herself as she fiddled nervously with the frills of her dress.

"But…why?" He continued, his eyes still damp. "How can you? I'm worthless!"

"You aren't worthless at all!" Nana insisted. "I don't care about anything that's happened – you're just like everyone else!"

Cooro shook his head. "Even if that were true…why would anyone feel that way about me? You could find someone so much better!"

The girl suddenly put a finger to his lips, silencing him. She shook her head, tilting it a bit to look him right in the eyes. "I don't see anything wrong with you. …To me, you're perfect." She grinned with a slight, red-faced giggle, finally getting a smile out of him as well as he stared back.

Did she…did she really feel the same way about him? Could that…really be possible? He continued holding her gaze, a bright, warm happiness and excitement starting to bloom in his heart as he slowly started to believe it.

Satisfied as she started to see the emotions reflected in his eyes change, Nana wrapped her arms around his right one, letting herself lean against him as her head came to rest on his shoulder. It felt strange… It wasn't necessarily anything more than they'd done before, but they'd never rested that close to each other when nothing was wrong. She hoped that the way they apparently both felt the same gave her permission. "You're so warm…" She commented, chilled from the snow that kept falling. She gripped him even tighter, a slight hesitation in her voice before she continued. "…We'll find away to defeat Catherine, won't we…?" She started slowly, a bit of worried uncertainty coming into her own voice. "And then we'll be able to be together…right?"

She had to believe that. She had to believe that he wasn't the same as the person she'd seen those few days ago, that they would be able to stop Catherine and end all of it. She wasn't quite sure when, but somewhere over the small amount of time they'd been together, the thought of losing him had become unbearable. She didn't know what she'd do...if...

"Y…yeah! Yeah, of course we will! We'll defeat her, and we'll be together!" Cooro announced excitedly. He struggled to force down any doubts, not wanting to squelch the happiness welling up within him. Yes, they'd get rid of her, and then he'd be able to live a normal life, wouldn't he? It didn't matter if the way he was now wasn't the real him! He would make it be! He would make Nana's words true, and find a way to become like everyone else! Then there wouldn't be anything to keep them from being together.

He grinned reassuringly, still hardly able or daring to believe what was happening.

Nana just returned the smile, the comfortable, but excited, silence returning. They stayed like that, her head resting on his shoulder, and his eventually having come to rest on hers, until a thin layer of snow started to frost their hair and the clothes they were wearing.

It was the sound of the door creaking open once again that disturbed them, both of them instantly separating and whipping around to gaze red-faced at a startled looking Husky.

"U…umm…" The silver-haired boy sputtered, just staring at them for a moment. He scanned his companion's blushing faces, slightly taken aback at what he'd just walked in on. That hadn't looked like a comfort hug… No. There wasn't any way it could be anything else. He shook his head, deciding not to read anything into it. With those two, he never could tell what they were thinking.

"It…it's snowing, in case you haven't noticed!" He finished, noticing, to his own surprise, a slight, unexpected harshness in his voice. "You should go come inside before you get chilled!"

"R…right…" The girl eventually agreed, purposely trying to force the red in her face away. "We're coming." Cooro nodded as well, attempting to do the same.

Husky gave his two old friends a final look before returning inside himself, waiting for them along with Senri.

As the door closed behind him, Nana and Cooro gave each other one last, long gaze before slowly getting to their feet, their hands still together as they headed back towards the cabin where everyone else was already preparing to sleep.

* * *

_... ...That was a lot for one chapter, and now they have another stop to make, too._

_...Anyway, please review and stay tuned!_


	20. Chapter Nineteen: Unending Dream

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_Well, at long last, here's the next installment! I apologize for the long wait between updates this time. _

_This chapter is long, though. Really long. It's also another busy one, revealing the truth behind Cooro's strange dreams. _

_In any case, on to the nineteenth chapter!_

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen: **Unending Dream

* * *

Cooro felt the dock shift beneath his weight as he left the boat behind, stepping off entirely onto its moss-covered wooden surface. The structure jutting out from the sandy, murky shore was obviously old, and the overgrowth and the few rotted boards mixed in with the rest were signs of large un-use. It gave a few more creaks as the boy heard Nana, Husky, and Senri step onto it as well, following him.

All four of them hesitated, taking a few moments to gaze around at the forlorn looking port they'd just arrived at.

There were no signs of other people close by except for a small trail that started in the trees just across from the shore, a few, old shoe-marks lingering in the soil. Next to it, on a tree just by the entrance, a wooden sign was nailed to the trunk. Its surface was deteriorated with age, and it was partially obscured by a few strands of ivy that wrapped their way around the tree's trunk. However, the word carved into the sign was still visible.

Willowind.

Cooro felt himself swallow hard, a strange, bittersweet feeling of nostalgia welling up inside his chest. This was the place from his dreams. It was indeed here, just like he knew it would be. The place he'd seen through the eyes of the man called 'Tilah' so many times.

He let his eyes wander around the area near the shore, staring at the overgrown ivy winding its way along the rocky ground, and watching the leafy branches of the willow trees the village was probably named for swing slightly in the sea breeze. It seemed so…familiar.

Standing there now, he could hardly believe he'd never actually been there before. It felt…like he'd spent a long time in this village. Like he'd spent countless days gazing out at the sea from under one of those willow trees, with the mixed scent of salt water and moss filling his senses and the breeze from the ocean lightly hitting his face.

_Are these…Tilah's memories…?_

"Are you lot sure this is where you want me to leave you? Doesn't seem like there's much here to me. What business could you possibly have at a sad place like this?"

Cooro was finally interrupted from his thoughts by the voice of the captain, blinking a few times to clear his head as he gazed back.

"Err…yeah…" Nana answered first, a slight hesitance audible in her voice even as she tried to disguise it. "We're…here to visit someone." She lied, attempting to come up with something he might believe.

The captain just sighed, not saying anything about it even though he obviously didn't quite believe her. "Meora paid me to take you all back to the fortress, y'know. She's probably not gonna be too happy with me if I tell her I just dropped you all off at some godforsaken place like this."

"Don't worry." Nana tried to smile. "Tell her we insisted on it, and that it was Cooro's idea. We're not too far from the fortress, so we'll be fine. I don't think any guards will be all the way out here."

"If you say so, miss…" The captain decided reluctantly, gazing around at the group of four one last time. Their faces weren't particularly filled with enthusiasm, but none of them objected as the man gave a final nod. "Well…I guess I'll be off, then…"

"All right." Nana agreed. "Get the other +anima there safely. And when you do, give Meora our thanks and tell her that we're all okay and will see her soon!"

"I will. Stay well…" The captain pleaded, pausing for a moment longer, as if he expected at least one of them to suddenly decide they wanted back on the ship, before finally walking back to his post.

The boat left quickly after that, the ship making its way away from the dock and leaving nothing but a small wake to drum against the shore as it left them behind.

"Well…I guess we better find somewhere to stay…" Nana started slowly, her companions still remaining silent as they turned to walk towards the trail, the dock groaning in protest under their feet.

* * *

There was only one inn in entire village, its old, two-story shape stretching far above their heads as the four +anima gazed up at it.

Sections of the wood that made up the walls were covered in moss, and a couple shattered windows were left boarded up. Certain parts of roof almost looked like they'd sunk in slightly, though still supported well enough by the main beams below. The place had obviously gone without repair for a long time.

"Are you sure there's nowhere else to stay here?" Husky asked even though he already knew the answer, grimacing as he looked it over.

"Do you really expect there to be anything else in a place like this?" Nana frowned, keeping her voice quiet.

On their way through the trail and out into the village, they'd seen no more than five or six people. All of the buildings looked at least fairly run-down, with even the market store and mayor's house in need of some tending. Many of the buildings appeared to simply be empty. While a handful of people apparently still made it their home, it was obvious that whole place was poor, and, at least to some degree, deserted. It probably wasn't a village that worried about accommodating tourists much.

Husky didn't answer, instead turning to where Cooro was silently staring up at the building as if in a trance. "Remind me why we're here again." He complained to Nana, his voice a whisper.

"Cooro thinks there might be something here to help him find a way to get rid of Catherine…" The girl repeated. When the dark-haired boy had announced to his other two companions that he wanted to come to this place, he'd explained everything. Tilah and Elizabeth, his strange dreams, what he'd read in the book. All of it. But all the same, Nana knew just how unbelievable it sounded.

"Because…he saw this place in his nightmares." The silver-haired boy finished himself with a sigh, a frustrated, incredulous tone to his voice.

"…You didn't have to come, you know…" The crow +anima commented quietly, turning away from the building and walking back towards them, apparently having overheard.

Husky shook his head. "It's not like me and Senri were just going to let you two go off on your own again, not after we came all that way just to find you!"

The last thing he'd wanted to do was get off the ship so they could stop at some run down, derelict old village, but when Cooro had brought the idea up it'd been obvious that Nana had already decided that she was going to go with him. He wasn't about to let his two winged companions go off separately again when they'd specifically gone to Astar to search for them!

"I…I'm sorry…" The dark-haired boy stuttered, shrinking slightly at the harshness in his companion's voice. "But, it's just that…"

"It's okay…" Nana intervened. "Like I said before, if you think this might help you, it's worth checking out."

"But how long are we going to have to be here, anyway? I mean, you don't even know what you're looking for, do you?" Husky pressed before she could say anything else.

Cooro bit his lip. "I…don't know exactly… But…I don't think we'll need to stay for more than a couple of days…"

"Okay…" Husky gave in. "But, _please_, try to keep it at that."

The crow +anima nodded, about to verbally agree when another voice interrupted.

"…Coming…?" Senri turned to look back at them, already holding open the door to the inn.

Without saying anything else, the three all nodded and hurried to meet their oldest companion.

* * *

The inn looked about as old inside as it did on the outside, with its carpet torn and stained in a few places and some of the furniture patched in order to stay together. It was…livable, though, and the scent of warm tea mixed with the smell of mildew as it reached their noses. From the looks of it, the first story of the building was the home of its keeper. The way the upstairs was kept as an inn for the uncommon event that guests did arrive in the village was probably an afterthought.

Nevertheless, an aged female voice had told them to come in as they'd peeked inside, and now an elderly woman waited for them at a desk near the stairs. She smiled as they gazed around. "Guests, I presume?"

They nodded, heading over to meet her.

"Quite unusual." The inn-keeper commented. "We don't get people out here very often anymore. The rooms hardly see any use." The woman bent down to grab a couple pages of paperwork from one of the draws on the desk as they approached, placing them on the table with a pencil.

The four were at her desk as she looked back up, the woman keeping her smile as she looked her young guests over. It was only when her gaze fell on the dark-haired young man lingering in the back that her eyes widened, her mouth suddenly dropping agape as she took in a sharp, disbelieving gasp.

Cooro instinctively tensed as the inn-keeper's face contorted in sudden alarm, his own eyes widening as he took a few steps back.

"…The black angel…!" The woman breathed, staring straight at him as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

This time the entire group stiffened, Cooro instantly covering the markings on his shoulders that he'd been keeping exposed.

"W…what?" Nana sputtered, the inn-keeper's unexpected reaction making her heart pound.

"It…can't be…!" The woman continued, paying no notice to Nana as her alarmed eyes started drifting somewhere distant. "The black-winged angel…! It…it can't…"

"M…ma'am…I…" Cooro stammered nervously, but he never got to finish.

The inn-keeper's face abruptly shifted to absolute rage, hatred and disgust burning in her previously kind eyes. "_You_! Why have you come back?" She shouted, her voice rising to a scream. "You've already taken them away from me! I have nothing left! Why… Why have you come back? _Leave_… Leave now!"

"M…ma'am, stop!" Nana suddenly cried, running back to stand protectively in front of her dark-haired companion. "Cooro's just a +anima – none of us know you, and he's never been here before. You must be thinking of someone else…" She desperately tried to reason, speaking for the boy trembling behind her.

"Monster! Demon! Bringer of death!" The woman spat with her whole body shaking, paying no notice to the girl's words as she continued, her eyes still filled with a mixture of shock and growing horror. "Why…? Why did you return here? Why did you come back? Leave us… Get out of here and leave us be! _Leave us!_

"Mother, calm down!" Another female voice suddenly rose above the inn-keeper's shrill shouting, this one younger as a woman who appeared to be in her early forties hurried into the room from the hall. Her own gaze widened for a moment as it rested on the young man that the inn keeper was so intently staring at. She blinked a few times, shock and disbelief registering in her eyes as well, but she managed to calm it as she took in the situation. She forced a smile.

"Come on now, mother…is that any way to treat guests?" The younger woman asked, gazing down at the inn-keeper that was apparently her mother with a reassuringly casual smile.

"But…I…Isabel, th…that's…" The elderly woman sputtered exhaustedly, seeming to be soothed just slightly by her daughter's presence.

The woman, Isabel, simply placed a finger to her mother's lips, making her fall silent. "It's all right, mother." She started loudly enough for the group of +anima to hear, lightly nudging the elderly inn-keeper down one of the halls. "Everything is fine. I'll handle this, go and rest in your room for a while, okay?"

This time the woman didn't argue, staying in the hall as her daughter hurried back to the desk. She lingered in place for a moment, keeping her gaze on Cooro with narrowed eyes. Her lips parted silently, the innkeeper muttering something under her breath before eventually giving up and turning away, disappearing down the hall without any further struggle.

"I…I'm so terribly sorry!" The younger inn-keeper apologized urgently as she came to face the wide-eyed, shaken group. "Please…forgive my mother, Nadia… She's really a very kindhearted person, but…age has done things to her head…" The woman looked down slightly. "I can understand if you want to leave now, but…I think she's calmed down, and I'll go make sure later. You're welcome to stay as long as you like."

Cooro took a brief glance down the hall that had swallowed up the innkeeper, his pounding heart slowly beginning to calm down. It was, indeed, empty. It was his turn to gasp, though, as he got a good look at the woman's face for the first time.

She was tall, with delicate features and piercing, deep green eyes. Her hair was so pale it was almost white, but it was different than the graying of age – it was a pure, clean white, the unusual color illuminated boldly by the light seeping in through the windows.

For a moment, his breath caught in his throat, threatening to choke him.

_Elizabeth…?_

No. There was no way it could be the girl he'd seen in his nightmares. That girl was… And aside from that, this woman's name was apparently Isabel. But…

His thoughts were interrupted as he realized that his companions were looking over towards him questioningly, waiting for him to be the one to respond to the pale-haired woman's offer.

"Uhh…y…yeah… Can we get a room for a couple of nights?" He answered simply. It was true that the thought made him uncomfortable, but, if anything, now he knew that he needed to stay there more than ever. Something had definitely happened here. Besides…they had nowhere else to go.

"Are you sure?" Nana suddenly whispered, still standing close to him. "We can try moving on to another village. It's still early, if we leave now, maybe we can find one before dark."

Cooro just gave her a nod, struggling to get his hands to stop trembling.

"All right…" The younger inn-keeper nodded. "Then that'll be 100 gillah for each of you…" She gestured to one of the papers. "Just have one of you sigh here, and then I'll show you to your rooms."

Senri stepped forward and handed her the gillah, writing the agreement across the paper.

The woman stepped out from behind the desk again, looking back as she took a few steps toward the stairs. "The rooms are up here, follow me… And again, I am so deeply sorry about my mother…" She apologized once more, before continuing on.

A moment passed before the four +anima followed her, the group sharing an anxious glance before hurrying to catch up.

"It…it's okay." Cooro assured quietly as they started trailing behind the white-haired woman who was leading them up the creaky flight of steps to the second floor. "But…why was your mother afraid of me? Did something…happen here once?" He asked, unable to help himself – now was the perfect chance.

Isabel instantly stopped, pausing at her place near the top of the steps. "Well…there was a tragedy that struck our small village. It was many years ago, but… It made the people here rather superstitious. Please, don't think me rude, but I would recommend covering up those markings on your shoulders when you're in public here. I've heard about what's going on with the government against the +anima, and you don't have to worry about that in such a forgotten village as this…but…I still think it'd be for the best…"

Cooro nodded, realizing that what she was saying might be wise. He hadn't been keeping his markings uncovered for very long, and he'd just started getting used to it again, but it probably was safer not to expose them at all… "But…umm…miss Isabel… If you don't mind me asking, what exactly was this 'tragedy'?"

He found himself afraid of the answer, but he had to know. It had to have something to do with what he saw in his dreams, and uncovering that was why he'd come here. He could feel his body start tensing again, the boy fiddling nervously with his fingers against his palms as he awaited her answer.

It didn't come quickly, the woman keeping her gaze turned away from them as she fought for words. "It's…nothing you need to worry about…" The words came out quietly from her lips, distance creeping into her voice. "It's simply a long, sad story, that wouldn't interest anyone besides us villagers… And like I said, it was many years ago when it happened…" The innkeeper lifted up her right foot, ready to start ascending again when Cooro's voice stopped her once more.

"But, what…?" He persisted, only to be interrupted himself.

"It's nothing that visitors like you need to worry about!" The woman repeated, her voice suddenly becoming unexpectedly harsh. She paused after that, catching herself and taking a few moments to forcefully calm her voice. "Please…don't let what my mother said bother you… I know there isn't much here anymore, but if you look passed how out of shape this place is, it's a village that is very beautiful and peaceful. Don't concern yourself with such things…just let your time be restful while you're here…"

This time no one said anything, the silence hovering for a few moments until the innkeeper wordlessly started leading them up the moaning stairs once more.

The inn looked largely the same upstairs as it did below. There was a small main room just above the stairwell, with a few old but decorative and intricate tables and chairs set up over the worn carpet. Just beyond that was a hallway, with a few doors lining it on both sides. Isabel came to a halt as they stood parallel to the first two.

"As you can see, our inn is awfully small, and not in the best condition. We only have a total of four rooms that are still usable. I don't feel comfortable completely filling them all just in case someone else comes, but what if I give one room to the lady and have the three gentlemen share another?" The innkeeper suggested, the melancholy suddenly gone from her voice now that they'd dropped the subject.

The group just nodded, taking the keys the woman pulled from her pocket. She gave one to Nana and the other to Senri, not quite having enough copies to go around to all three of the males. "Anyway…please, enjoy your stay, and let me know if there is anything I can help you with." She smiled, giving a slight, grateful curtsy before dismissing herself back downstairs.

* * *

Nana gave a tired sigh as she plopped onto her bed, kicking off her shoes as she pulled her feet up closer to her body.

It was dark outside now. Her gaze fell over towards the single window, where she could still only just make out the small white shapes of snowflakes falling outside beyond the glass. She shivered, scooting over near the pillow until she could pull the blanket over her knees. It'd been snowing every evening now for several nights in a row – ever since that one she'd spent at the edge of the boat with Cooro. She could feel her face heat up despite the cold as the recent memory drifted back to her, the girl shuffling restlessly. Winter had definitely come.

They hadn't done much that day. They'd simply rested in the inn for a while after finally getting settled, before going out to find food and take another look around. Not that there was much to see. The green fields that stretched between the houses and the willow trees that gave the village its name were beautiful, but the whole place had a feeling of desolation that made her eager to leave.

It was hard to come somewhere and not even know what it was you were looking for.

She bit her bottom lip. Cooro hadn't seemed particularly well. A strange, quiet distance had crept into him as they'd wandered about the village. His thoughts had obviously been elsewhere, but he'd never spoken them. She couldn't tell if this was helping him in the way he'd wanted it to or not…

Had he really seen this village, of all places, in his nightmares? Did he really think he could find or learn anything of use here?

She just sighed again as her gaze drifted instead to the door that led back out to the hall, wondering how he and her other two companions were doing. It felt good to have some privacy for once – especially as she was the only female out of the four of them – but at the same time, it made her feel a bit lonely and left out…

_They're probably all asleep by now, anyway… I should get some rest, too…_

She thought to herself, reaching for and putting out the candle that'd been burning at her bedside table as she pulled the blanket up further and laid herself down completely.

Darkness overtook the room, which, to her surprise, made her feel slightly uneasy. Normally, even if she was somewhere new, she didn't mind the dark, but… There was something about this village that made her uncomfortable.

Cooro was right about one thing – _something _had definitely happened here, as had been shown in the reactions of the two innkeepers. And, apparently, they weren't too keen to talk about it.

The girl gave her head a brief shake, her cheeks nudging against the pillow as tried to force the thoughts away and shut her eyes. Her tense muscles fought against keeping them closed, though. She stayed like that for a while, struggling to find sleep as she tossed and turned on top of the bed creaking under her weight.

It was when she heard a light knock on the door that she looked back up.

"Umm…Nana, are you awake…?"

The voice was very quiet, silent enough to where it wouldn't have woken her if she hadn't been. Nevertheless, she recognized it instantly.

"…Cooro? What is it? What are you doing up?" She asked in return, turning to face the door.

She didn't get an answer right away, a moment passing before she heard her companion's voice again. "I…I couldn't sleep…" He admitted. "If you're awake too…is it all right if I come in?"

"Yeah…" She decided, momentarily caught off guard as she sat all the way up. "Just let me get the candle burning again…" She commented, reaching over and lighting the wick once more with a match that she'd left on the table.

The young woman heard the door open behind her, a familiar silhouette appearing in the entryway somewhat hesitantly as it clicked shut once more. "Are you sure I'm not bothering you…?" Cooro asked, shuffling his feet near the exit.

Nana shook her head. "It's fine…I can't sleep, either. I don't mind having some company."

The boy smiled slightly, the dim but soft candlelight casting shadows on his face as he stepped forward and settled himself on the padded bench near the window, across from where the girl sat on her bed.

She returned the expression, feeling a familiar warmth in her chest.

They hadn't actually spent that much time together since that night a few days ago on the ship…and neither of them had spoken a word about it. There'd actually been a slight awkwardness between them afterwards, as if they didn't quite know how they were supposed to act around each other now, and especially in front of their other two companions. Or maybe it was that neither of them could be quite sure it hadn't been a dream…and didn't want to embarrass themselves by being the first to speak up, just in case.

She found herself still smiling, though, as the thought of that night returned. "It's…good to have some time with you again…" She commented, already feeling her cheeks predictably start to heat up.

The boy nodded, tensing slightly as he looked up at her. Even in the candlelight, Nana was able to detect a tint of redness in his own face. "Yeah…we haven't talked much since…" His voice started trailing off, before he lifted his gaze again and gave her another warm smile. "I missed you…" True, they'd never actually been apart, but spending time with her along with the others felt different than when it was just the two of them, like they'd somewhat grown accustom to during their trauma over the past weeks.

Nana nodded in return, looking over him fondly. She was happy to have some time to be with just him again, but…he looked rather…

The young man had his feet pulled up close to the rest of his body, resting his head on his knees with his arms wrapped around them. He kept his eyes open, even though she could tell how tired he was from his gaze. The spark he'd started to acquire again had vanished, leaving a slight listlessness in his eyes. They were still warm as they met hers, but she could see anxiety and pain in them, too…

"Hey...are you…okay?" She asked gently, taking the initiative to move closer and sit next to him on the bench. He'd been trying hard to make himself stronger, but looking at him now, she was reminded how frail he really was.

Cooro bit his bottom lip, hesitating a moment before answering. "I really don't like this place, Nana…" He replied simply, his gaze falling slightly downcast. "Being here makes me feel strange… I remember it, even the places I didn't see in my dream… It feels like I've been here before… Like this inn, it feels like I spent a long time here, back when it was newer and active…even though I know I haven't. Even though I'm still looking through my own eyes, there are memories attached to everything here that I know aren't mine… It…scares me…" He admitted, staring at the floor.

"…I don't like this place, either…" Nana agreed. "But…you're the one that wanted to go here, you said you thought it might help you find a way to get rid of Catherine. If there's a chance of that, then it's worth it…"

Cooro didn't look up, his eyes still facing downwards as he continued. "…I know…" He nodded. "There's a place I want to go see tomorrow, and I do want to find out what the innkeeper knows, but… I'm afraid of that, too. I just… I have this feeling that I'm about to find out something horrible…"

The young woman was silent for a moment, the boy flinching as he suddenly felt her hand on his. He moved his gaze back towards hers, finding a reassuring smile on her face. "It's all right. No matter what it is, I'm not going to leave you. I don't care what it is anymore."

"Nana…" Cooro chocked on the rest of his words, unable to find the right ones to answer her. "I…"

The girl silenced him by scooting in closer, letting their noses touch for a few moments as she gave him a brief nuzzle. He remained wordless as his eyes met hers, a warm, almost playful grin still on her face as she gave a slight giggle, trying to comfort him. The boy returned the smile gratefully, feeling the anxiousness in his chest start to subside just a bit even as he fought to keep the heat in his face from showing.

Cooro could feel himself start to lean against her, the sense of sleep threatening to overtake him becoming stronger. Being with her definitely did make him feel calmer than he'd been with the others.

"You should really go back and try to get some sleep…" Nana commented, though, gently pulling away slightly as she looked over towards him. "You might need it for tomorrow…"

His gaze started drooping again at the thought, her movement forcing him to straighten. "I'm tired, but… I don't really want to go to sleep…" He argued quietly. "I…I know I'm going to have that nightmare again. I don't want to. Not when I'll wake up in the same place I saw in my sleep…"

Nana didn't say anything this time as her own gaze fell, not sure what she could. She suddenly felt a weight on her shoulder again, though, as her companion started leaning on her once more, his eyes looking up at hers. "Can I…stay here a little while longer?"

She just nodded, both of their gazes turning the world midnight blackness was veiling outside the window. She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but, eventually, the slowing rhythm of his breathing told her that he had, in fact, ended up falling asleep, despite the fact that he hadn't meant to.

Getting up carefully so as not to wake him, she laid Cooro's head down on the bench, staring at him thoughtfully as she got up. It would probably strike Husky and Senri rather…odd…that he'd gotten up and moved to her room, but…she couldn't quite bring herself to wake him. If she did, it was unlikely that he'd fall back asleep again. Maybe he'd wake up in time to return to their room without them noticing…

But besides…the four of them had been stuck sharing a single room many times before, this wasn't any different than that. And in comparison to the night they'd spent together in that cell in Astar…

She felt her face redden again, still remembering how she'd been able to feel his breath and heartbeat close to hers as they'd slept in each other's arms. A slight, grateful smile came to her lips, though. At least this night didn't have nearly as much sorrow as that one.

Deciding that it would be best just to leave him, she walked over and grabbed one of the extra blankets near her bedside, laying it on top of him. "Have good dreams, Cooro." She remarked quietly, staring down at him for just a moment longer before padding back to her own bed.

Realizing that she needed rest just as much, she collapsed down on top of it and covered up her own body under the thick quilts. She put out the candle once more as she tried closing her eyes again, this time with success.

* * *

Nana awoke the next morning to the faint sound of birds, the brightness of the light streaming in through the window indicating that she'd slept longer than she usually did.

Feeling groggy, she let her eyelids droop for a few minutes more, her half-open gaze staring blankly at the shadows the light cast on the wall. Slowly, it drifted down to the boy spread out on the bench beneath the window, only the back of his dark-haired head visible from beneath the blanket.

He was still there, asleep. Her thoughts still half-clouded by the night's rest, she stared at him for a while, noticing the blanket shift a few times as he shuffled in his slumber. But…that was all. As far as she'd noticed, he'd been completely silent through the night – she hadn't heard any of the screaming like she had back on the ship. Maybe the nightmares he'd been so afraid of hadn't come, after all. She hoped so…he needed a decent rest.

But…

She blinked, a thought abruptly coming to her.

If it was as late as the light outside the window suggested, there was a good chance that Husky and Senri had already awoken first after all and undoubtedly noticed him missing. She tensed. Had they realized where he went? They must've…

She reminded herself again that it was no different from the nights all four of them had spent in the same room or around a campfire, but she still couldn't help but wonder what they'd think when they discovered that he'd actually moved, the thought somehow feeling awkward.

Suddenly no longer content, she slowly pulled herself up to a sitting position and swung her legs off the side of the bed, rising to them. She padded over to the sleeping form of her companion, bending down to give him a slight nudge in the shoulder.

"…What…?" She had to repeat the motion a few times before finally getting a muffled, still half-asleep moan.

"…Cooro…it's late. Come on, wake up." Nana prompted, getting another sleepy groan before the boy finally pushed himself partway up. He blinked a few times, a look of surprise almost instantaneously coming into his eyes as he forced them open.

"Wait…! Where…?" He sputtered, looking down at the bench he was laying on and then up at her in confusion.

"You ended up falling asleep last night in my room." Nana explained, staring back down.

"O…oh! I did…?" He looked back down again, trying to remember exactly what'd happened the night before. "Oops…sorry….I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay…it didn't bother me." The young woman dismissed casually, noticing him bite his bottom lip. "But we should get up now – the others are probably already awake."

He nodded tiredly, getting himself up into a sitting position.

"How were your dreams last night, by the way?" Nana decided to ask, her voice quieter.

Cooro paused for a moment before answering, as if trying to remember. It hadn't actually been a complete story like he was used to, just…stray images – random memories that had played over in his head. "It…was strange… I didn't have the nightmare I thought I would, but I still dreamed about this place… Specifically…this inn. But…I don't really remember what it was about…"

A dinner in the main room on the floor below, looking out the windows from upstairs as he sat on one of the beds, the walls and carpet when they were bright and new, the sound of talking that he wasn't quite sure was his… None of the scenes would completely form in his mind, leaving just a vague impression and lingering image. Apparently, though, sleeping here had made the memories, or whatever they were, of this specific place, overpower the unpleasant remembrance in Willowind he'd often been forced to witness.

"Well… I guess that's better than the nightmares…" Nana commented uncertainly as he slowly got to his feet, not quite knowing what else to say. He just nodded dryly, quiet the rest of the time as he walked with her to the door.

He hesitated just before placing his hand on the knob, probably worried about the same thing the young woman had been. "If they are still asleep, I'll just go over and get back in with them…" He remarked hopefully, before turning the handle and peering through the new opening.

Any idea of that was instantly dashed, however, as the patter of footsteps followed the sound of the creaking door, Husky walking over to greet them with Senri trailing behind.

"Look who's finally awake." The silver-haired boy commented, slightly raising an eyebrow.

"Err…we didn't sleep well last night…" Nana defended, trying to ignore the strange look they were getting as the former guard moved it from her directly to Cooro.

"Is there any particular reason you ended up in Nana's room last night, Cooro?" He questioned, a slight hint of accusation in his voice.

"It…it's just that I couldn't sleep, and she couldn't either… I ended up going in there so we could talk for a while…but…I did accidently fall asleep before I could leave – I didn't mean to!" The dark-haired boy stuttered, trying to explain.

Husky just stared at the two of them for a moment longer, before heaving a sigh. "Well…whatever…" He dismissed, deciding that it wasn't worth it. "Now that you're awake, what is it you want to do today? You're the one wanted to come here – make use of it." He prompted with a slight bitterness and impatience in his tone, his words directed at the crow +anima.

"Umm…" Cooro started quietly, the slight redness on his face fading as distance started creeping back into his eyes. "There is…one place I want to look for… I don't think anyone else would find it very interesting, though…you all can stay here if you want…"

Husky just gave a slight huff. "I doubt it could be any duller than this place. We'll come with you – we don't have anything better to do, anyway." Senri, who'd just been watching the discussion silently as usual, nodded in agreement.

"Okay…then…I'd like to get going right after breakfast…" The dark-haired young man decided, not feeling quite as relieved as he usually did. He didn't necessarily mind them coming, but a part of him knew this would be end up being painful when he faced it, and he wasn't sure he wanted them around when that happened… It might've been easier if he'd just been allowed to be alone with his thoughts, this time… His three companions, though, just nodded.

* * *

"Umm…where exactly is this place you're taking us, Cooro?" Husky questioned, tearing a piece of ivy as he yanked his tangled foot out of a clump.

The crow +anima had been leading them away from the main part of town, further and further into the wooded area surrounding it. From the looks of it, there used to have been a trail here, but now it was covered in undergrowth and ivy… Like a lot of this village, it didn't look as if it'd been touched for several years.

"Umm…I think that it should be just on the other side of this hill…" The boy answered from the front of the group. Yes, it should be just across the crest, down below where the ground evened out and the trees thickened. It should be right at the very tip of town's outskirts. At least, he hoped.

He felt his heart start pounding faster as he padded up to where the incline started falling the other way, his eyes immediately widening as the ground below became visible.

Indeed, there it was.

He didn't say anything right away, just taking in a gasp as he stared down at the small, old wooden cabin resting alone at the bottom of the hill.

"T…there… That's…that's it!" He sputtered in almost disbelief, his eyes filled with a strange, almost melancholic wonder.

Before anyone else could respond, he abruptly dashed down the rest of the hill, running for the run-down building as fast as his still recovering ankle could carry him.

"Hey, Cooro – wait!" Nana called as she reached the crest herself, her and the others quickly following after him.

The sound of the call not even registering in his mind, the boy only came to a stop when he reached the area just outside of the small cabin, his gaze still distant as he stared at it.

He could feel his body start to shake as a flurry of intense, seemingly unprovoked emotions tingled in his heart, leaving a heavy, aching weight in his chest as his eyes continued to look over the abandoned building.

The room was covered in ivy and leaves, some of the wood making up the walls discolored and partially rotted. It smelled of mildew and dust, and the front door was boarded off, blocking anyone from entering.

This was… This was Tilah's home. The home of person whose memories he knew, whose face he wore in his dreams. In those dreams, he'd been here before, many times. And even though he'd never walked the path, he'd known the way.

He felt an overwhelming sense of nostalgia as he stood in front of it now. No. Not just in his nightmares… Even though he knew it wasn't possible, he felt like he'd physically stood with his feet touching the same ground they were on now. Like he'd spend days upon days inside that single, small building.

_Are these…really Tilah's memories that I feel? They, seem so…_

"Umm...Cooro, is something wrong?" A familiar female voice asked, the boy blinking a few times in surprise before he realized that his companions were standing beside him again.

"What is this place?" Husky added, scrutinizing the building. It didn't look like anything special – just another abandoned cottage in this run down village. The only thing different about it were the planks guarding the door. He blinked as he stared at them, wondering why this place had been specifically sealed off.

"N…no, nothing… It's…a place I've been seen before in my nightmares…" Cooro answered them both quickly.

Without saying anything else, he started walking closer to it, the wooden porch sinking slightly under his weight as he raised himself up the stairs and slowly moved towards the front door.

Ignoring, or rather, barely hearing the bewildered voices of his old friends, he approached the planks that blocked off the entrance, looking through the cracks to find the doorknob. Careful not to get his hand stuck, the boy slipped his thin wrist in through a small opening, turning the knob and getting the door to open after a slight, creaking nudge.

He desperately tried peering inside through the cracks, but all that greeted him was enclosing darkness, any light that would've trickled into the small home being largely cut off by the curtains that still hung in front of the windows.

All at once feeling the odd, confused gazes of his companions watching him from behind, he took a few steps back, trying to force the distance out of his eyes as he turned them towards his companions once more. "Err…I…want to go inside… Senri…would you…?"

He didn't even have to finish the sentence before the bear +anima started padding up the steps to join him, his claws already appearing. With nothing more than a few quick swipes, the boards blocking the way fell to the ground in several pieces, exposing the entrance as new light spilled into the old cabin.

"Thanks." Cooro smiled gratefully, hesitating a moment as he turned back to the already open door.

What would he find inside?

Looking through the entrance now, he could make out the shapes of basic furniture – nothing unusual. But he could feel his heart throbbing high in his chest, making his breath catch in his throat as he stepped towards it, hesitating at the door before cautiously stepping inside.

After exchanging a glance, the others followed silently, a strong scent of dust and mildew hitting their noses as they entered the old, creaky cabin.

Cooro could feel his hands tremble, the ache in his chest running all the way though him and threatening to make his legs buckle. He took a moment to look around, realizing there was a lump in his throat.

Still only dimly illuminated, the inside of the home looked no different than any other. It consisted only of one room, with the small space fairly cramped, but not uncomfortably so. A few tables and chairs were placed in one corner, beside the counter and wood stove that lined the wall. Opposite of that was a bed, with a dresser placed along the wall next to it.

He could feel his mouth fall agape as he drew in a few sharp breaths, the boy leaving his companions wide-eyed as he all at once rushed over to the kitchen area and then to the dresser, frantically opening every cupboard and drawer. Nothing was inside any of them except for a few everyday supplies like pots and pans, candles, and musty, faded old clothes that were covered in dust, but he felt like he could barely breathe.

"E…everything…it's all…still the same as…" He gasped quietly, still bent over one of the kitchen drawers.

It was the same as it'd always been before. It looked just like it had on the day when Tilah had last walked through the door, never to return home. Everything was the same. The dishes were in the same drawers, his clothes, never again worn, were still folded and organized, and the bed sheets were still tucked in neatly. It was the same – all of it.

Cooro stayed like that for a few moments, resting his head and shaking hands on top of the drawer he was bent over, panting for breath. It wasn't coming quite right for some reason – both his chest and throat tense and tight.

He flinched, startling slightly as he felt a light touch on his shoulder. Whipping his gaze around, his eyes ended up meeting Nana's. The girl had walked over to him, one of her hands cautiously placed by his arm.

Looking slightly surprised at the abrupt reaction herself, the young woman took a couple seconds to recover. She stared down at him in concern, even though she wasn't quite sure what was making him so upset. "…Are you okay? Maybe it would be best just to leave…" She suggested, her voice gentle.

It took the boy a moment to realize why she looked so worried, suddenly noticing that his face was damp. There were tears he hadn't noticed streaming down his cheeks, his throat wracked with quiet sobs.

He was crying. Why was he crying?

Cooro held his hands below him his face, watching as almost painless, numb tears dropped into their palms. Why? He'd known it would feel strange to see a place he'd seen before only in his sleep, but… Why was he crying? This wasn't his home. Even if could see Tilah's memories, this building still had nothing to do with him himself. Were Tilah's memories really that powerful?

"N…no. Leaving now would defeat the whole point of coming all the way out here." He shook his head, trying to smile. "I…I'm fine…really. I…don't know why I…" He looked back down as his voice trailed off, attempting in vain to wipe off the dampness on his face.

Noticing that it seemed like the crow +anima was starting to calm down somewhat, Husky stepped closer as well, trying to keep his own voice gentler than usual. "But…what exactly is it that you wanted to do here?"

The dark-haired boy hesitated, not answering right away. The truth was, he didn't know. He'd just felt like this was one place he'd had to visit here in Willowind. A thought suddenly came to him, though, making him look back up. "Umm…there's one thing I want to look for real quick…" He finally responded, getting up from his bent position and padding back over towards the dresser near the bed.

_If everything is still left the same…then…_

Cooro opened the top drawer again, this time pushing the clothes aside as he reached for the far left corner. He froze, almost surprised when he found what he was looking for.

A small notebook lay nested in with the clothes in the back, now exposed. He stared at for just a moment longer before pulling it out.

This book was something he'd never specifically seen in his dreams, but yet he'd known where it was, regardless. And he knew just what it was, too.

He flipped open the first page, a sad, bittersweet smile coming to his face as he found the name 'Tilah' written on the front page.

"It's his journal…Tilah's…" He explained to his friends, who'd gathered around him curiously.

"Oh! I see, if Tilah knew anything that might help you, you might be able to find it in there." Nana commented, her voice hopeful.

Cooro just nodded, his thoughts elsewhere as he flipped the page again and absently began to read the first entry, the messy words looking like they'd been written by a young child.

_Hello, my name's Tilah. I'm only eight years old and I already live by myself! The only time I see grown-ups is when I go get food from them, or when one of them comes to check on me. I don't have a mom or dad, but that's okay, I like living alone – it's like I'm already an adult myself! It's not lonely anymore, I'm used to it. One of the women who gives me food thinks I should start writing in a journal to give myself company. I don't know why – but I guess she thinks I can talk to you. I guess I may as well, if it makes her stop pestering me about it. Did I mention that I have black wings? I'm a +anima. Or, at least, that's what someone told me once, I'm not quite sure what that is. I think that's why I'm the only orphan living out here, though. The other kids with no parents get to live with a pretend mother, in a big house back in the village, but some people seem to be scared of me. I don't know why, I think they believe that bad things will happen to them if I'm around. It's not fair! There's a girl who lives in the village that has wings too, but hers are white! She has to be a +anima as well, but they call her an angel. I see them give her gifts, and even pray at her feet! Her name's Elizabeth…and she's only a little bit younger than me… It's not fair…but… I already said that I liked living like this, didn't I…? I don't need to be loved like her…I don't even need a pretend mother like all those other kids… _

Cooro blinked. That's right – Elizabeth…she was…

A clearer image of the girl suddenly flashed in his mind, with large, feathery wings spread out behind her that were as white as the snow at her feet. She'd been a dove +anima, but the village had adored her as an angel.

He started flipping through the pages again, looking for another mention of Elizabeth. He found it a chunk of paper away, figuring that at least a year or two must've passed judging by the slightly neater writing.

_You know that girl with white wings, Elizabeth? I talked to her today – I don't think she's really that bad after all. I think a lot of the adults secretly encourage her to stay away from me – the 'black angel', that's what they call me now – but she was nice to me. I tripped when I was coming into the village for food earlier and skinned my knee…she happened to see me fall, and came over to help me up. She said that she could heal me. I guess what they said about her being able to heal people was true – after she placed her hand on my knee, the cut was gone… When I asked her why she helped me, she said that she was the same as me. She said that she was a +anima and not an angel, and that she liked having another one to talk to. She showed me her wings, too, and I showed her mine. I'd seen them before, of course, when all those people gathered around her to pray, but they were so pretty up close! And I got to fly with her! She said she wanted to get away from all of those people who are always around her for a while, so we flew off to the woods together. We didn't get to stay long, though – people started looking for her, but it was fun! I…want to see her again._

The power to heal…?

Yes…she'd had that ability. She herself had never known why – she was indeed only a +anima, but it was another reason she'd ended up hailed as an angel.

Bewildered at the thought, Cooro skipped ahead again, stopping to read a few words and phrases here and there that caught his eye as he continually skimmed the pages, realizing that he couldn't keep his friends waiting while he read all of it.

_I've been having strange dreams lately…have I told you about them? They're dreams where I feel like I'm living another life as different person, but…recently…they've started to turn into nightmares, where I see people die at the end…_

Of course…it'd happened to Tilah himself, too… The man who appeared in his own dreams, had once had similar nightmares of his own.

_I've been spending more time with Elizabeth lately. Her parents don't like it, but I don't think Isabel cares. After all, they're twin sisters, but Elizabeth is the one everybody loves… It makes sense that Isabel is jealous. Do you know what she said to me the other day? 'If you really are some sort of messenger of death, then go ahead and take my sister.' I know she doesn't mean it, though, no matter how bitter her voice was. I know that she loves her sister, that she'd be upset if anything really happened to her, but I'm glad that she doesn't tell their mom and dad all the times when she sneaks out with me. _

Isabel! That's who that woman at the inn was! She was Elizabeth's twin sister…that's why she looked so much like her…

_I met a strange girl today…her name's Nema. She has black wings just like me! She says that she wants to be my friend, and she calls me her 'brother'. But…I'm not her brother, and she's not my sister – I have no family. She made me kind of uncomfortable… She said that we should be together, because we're both alike, but… I already have Elizabeth. It's true that her wings are white, but I still feel a strong kinship with her, even beyond that. I don't need that creepy Nema girl… She didn't seem very happy, though, she said that I would see her again… She seems weird – I hope she doesn't look for me later… I don't want to hurt her feelings, but…I don't really want to talk to her again…_

Nema… That girl was obviously Tilah's Catherine. It didn't seem like he'd taken to her though, like he had to admit he initially had with Catherine herself. Maybe it was because Tilah already had someone similar to him, and someone he held close. He himself had just lost all of the friends that he'd belonged with when Catherine had found him… She'd taken advantage of his loneliness, and longing to be with other +anima – he'd ended up wanting to believe that he'd found a friend…

Heaving a sigh, Cooro skipped ahead even further, going closer to the end of the journal.

_Elizabeth said to everyone in the middle of town that she doesn't want to be treated like an angel anymore. She said she wants to live a normal life now that's she's almost an adult. I could tell that none of them were happy about losing their ability to pray at her feet, but no one dared argue with her – after all, who dares to argue with an angel? She said that she wanted a job of her own, to help support her family and the inn they run. The mayor offered her the simple task of tending his garden – in return she could stay in private at his house and make a small amount of money as well. She accepted, so that's where she lives now. It's easier, actually. I know the mayor doesn't like her being around me, but he still doesn't argue with Elizabeth, because he knows that's what she wants. _

Cooro somehow still vaguely recalled everything he was reading, though the entry a few pages over caught him off-guard.

_I…I kissed her. Elizabeth. We were along the path to my house, lingering alone on one of the rocks. Her lips felt so soft on mine… She told me that she wanted us to be together forever, even if it means we have to leave this village. That's what I want, too. I don't think I've ever felt so happy!_

This time the memory that went with the writing made him twitch slightly, the boy blinking a few times as he thoughtfully placed a hand over his lips.

It was when he noticed the strange looks his companions were giving him that he abruptly took it down, quickly continuing to turn the page with a slightly red face.

_Nema won't leave me alone…no matter how many times I tell her that I don't want to leave with her, that I don't even want to be friends, she still won't just let me be. She really scared me this time, though. She told me that if I didn't leave with her, she'd kill Elizabeth! She's always been creepy, but how could she say something like that? How could she ever want to hurt Elizabeth? I know she won't, though. After all, even though she doesn't let herself be adored anymore, Elizabeth is still this village's precious angel. Nema would probably be executed herself if she so much as even bruised her. _

Already knowing how the story ended, Cooro bit his lip, moving ahead once more.

_I…I did something horrible today… I don't even know how to put it into words… I don't want to… I…I _killed_ someone… I killed someone! I…I don't know why… I… A man asked me to help fetch something that he dropped down one of the cliffs by the outskirts…he said he'd pay me. He walked with me and showed me the way, but… Something inside me snapped as soon as I used my wings! That odd feeling I've been having in my +anima completely overwhelmed me! It was horrible! I didn't want to hurt anyone! I didn't want to hurt him! But I… I killed him! I killed him! No matter how many times I write that it doesn't feel real… I don't even know how I did it, I had no weapons, but I…I don't know how to describe it! Something came from my palm, and… He just fell to the ground with crimson spilling from his chest. I killed him! I'm a murderer! I killed him! I really am a messenger of death, that's what everyone was saying. I would have been executed, had it not been for Elizabeth who begged for my life… Everyone still listens to whatever she wants. She says I must be sick, and that she wants to help me get better again. Oh Elizabeth… I've just ruined everything for us… I killed someone… I… What have I done? What have I done?_

Cooro stopped reading, his eyes wide and muscles tense. No. He didn't want to read that entry anymore. He turned the pages again, suddenly wanting to be done with this. Forcing himself, though, he turned to the last written page, feeling like he had to read it.

_Elizabeth made something for me, she thinks it can help me overcome what I feel in my +anima, and whenever Nema's around. She said she used some of her healing ability and put it into a pendant somehow. She told me to always wear it, so that I can stay as myself. She said that I can use my own abilities and fight Nema now. She said that's what she wanted me to do. She wants me to kill her. For real – she wants me to get rid of her for good, so she can never come back. I want to, too. I never wanted to kill again, but Nema is different. Everything is because of her. I'd…I'd be doing a good thing, wouldn't I…? I'm going to try. I'm going to use the pendant to get rid of Nema. I have a feeling she might come tonight… I'm determined, and I'm ready to fight! I'll end everything tonight! The next time I write in here, I'll be free!_

But…all the remaining pages were empty.

Cooro felt his eyes start to water again, knowing the unwritten end of the story. Tilah did indeed kill Nema, but he never got his freedom. He lost control, and with the pendant, managed to regain it, but by that time he'd already killed none other than Elizabeth's father. The girl had screamed in his face that she'd never forgive him this time, and run off, only to be slaughtered by Nema herself. Tilah had died that night, too – both him and his enemy meeting their ends in their final conflict, as had the person he'd loved more than anything.

He swallowed hard. Was that…the end that he and Catherine were headed for, too, if he tried to fight?

No. No, he wouldn't let that happen! The pendant…he could use the pendant, without following Tilah's mistakes. He would be stronger, he would make himself be…

He remembered now, the pendant had helped keep him his human self, enough so that he could fight back with his own abilities without losing it. That's how he'd done it in that nightmare he'd seen…

But…where was the pendant now?

"…The pendant… I have to find the pendant!" He suddenly decided aloud. It was the only hope he had at ever defeating her. It was what'd made Tilah so different than the rest of faces he'd worn in his sleep.

"Pen…dant…? What pendant?" Nana just blinked, Husky and Senri doing the same.

"The… The one that…" He started explaining, between his frantic glances around as he struggled to come up with any idea as to where it might be. "The one that Tilah used to help keep himself from losing his human self, the one that allowed him to still use his abilities to fight…"

Tilah had died with it on. Cooro suddenly tensed, struck with the grotesque possibility that it'd been buried with him. If he wanted it then, he'd have to… But…maybe it'd been confiscated and taken elsewhere, instead. After all, the village must've been really frightened of anything to do with him afterwards, if they'd even boarded off his empty house.

Isabel… The innkeeper and Elizabeth's sister. She obviously knew something about all of this…maybe she would know something about what happened to the pendant her twin had made. He had to ask her, even though he knew she wouldn't like it.

"Cooro, what?" Husky pressed, still left bewildered by the half-explanation along with others.

"Tilah was like me, but he had a pendant that would help him stay his normal, human self when he wore it…" The dark-haired boy tried to explain again, forcing himself to calm slightly. "He was able to use his wings and abilities when he had it on, which made him able to fight the girl that was like Catherine to him… If I could find it, maybe I could use it, too. I need to ask Isabel if she knows anything about it… She's the twin sister of the person who made it… Let's just go back to the inn for now…"

"Okay…" Nana nodded, the others all doing the same in agreement, despite the fact that it still seemed odd that he could gather all that from a simple journal.

All four turned to head for the exit, eager to get out of the musty old cabin.

Cooro kept the journal in his hands as he left, not quite able to bring himself to leave it behind somehow. He was the only one that hesitated at the door. He turned back and looked inside one last time, his cheeks starting to dampen again until a call from Nana hurried him on, away from that sad, empty house.

* * *

The door to the inn creaked open once more as the group stepped back inside, the heat from the burning fireplace soothing away the winter cold that had seeped into their bodies the moment they entered.

Taking in a breath that felt good against his chilled lungs, the comfortable warmth tempted Cooro to forget what he had in mind and collapse in front of the fire, but he didn't have such time to waste. Besides, even if he did give in, he knew the thoughts picking away at his mind and aching in his chest wouldn't let him get any rest. He needed to find Isabel.

Hearing the sound of busy footsteps, he turned towards the kitchen that was placed across from the stairs leading to the top floor, making sure that it was indeed the younger innkeeper and not her mother there – that woman certainly wasn't one he wanted to ask his questions to.

Sure enough, it was the middle-aged, pale haired woman who was at work near the stove. A steaming kettle was placed over it, along with two empty cups waiting at the counter.

Taking a brief glance at his companions, who nodded, Cooro took a small step closer, lingering in the doorway that separated the kitchen and the main room, as if wary of the innkeeper. "Umm…miss Isabel…?" He started, trying to catch her attention. His nervousness would hardly let him get his voice above a whisper, though, making him slightly surprised when she still paused and glanced over.

A smile came to the woman's face. "Well, if it isn't our guests. It's nippy out there, isn't it – did you come back to warm up? I was just making some tea for me and my mother, if you like, I can prepare some for you as well."

The boy shook his head. "Thanks…but…actually, there's something I came to ask you…"

He was surprised at just how much the innkeeper tensed at those words, a moment passing before she spoke again. "If it's about the tragedy that happened here in Willowind, I already told you that it's nothing you should concern yourself with…" She answered sternly, before finally going back to tending the tea kettle with her back now turned.

Biting his bottom lip, Cooro took another step closer, not willing to be deterred. "But…please… I don't need you to explain the whole story for me… I…I just want to know what happened to the pendant that your sister made for the man called Tilah…"

This time she turned to him with surprise showing in her own eyes, blinking as she looked him over. "How did you know about my sister and Tilah?" Her gaze suddenly narrowed, a strange mixture of melancholy and dry, numb bitterness in her voice. "…I suppose it was something you saw in your sleep?"

Cooro stiffened, taken aback. She'd spoken the words incredulously, but the very fact that she would even say such a thing meant that in reality she already knew it was a possibility, and was now testing his reaction. Yes. She knew something. A lot. He could feel his heart pound as he looked at Isabel, suddenly struck with a feeling that this woman might, indirectly, at least, know more about him than even he did himself. "Some of it…" He answered honestly, feeling his gaze droop away from hers.

The woman just stared, keeping her gaze on him for a few long moments, as if searching him for some secret quality she wanted to find. She bit her own bottom lip. Yes…he was definitely… What should she do? What…would her sister want to her to do?

She just sighed, suddenly and unexpectedly launching into the story she'd been keeping hidden. "The tragedy that happened here occurred nineteen years ago. Before then, I had a twin sister, her name was Elizabeth. She ended up with a +anima when she was very young, and, even though I understand that most +anima don't have it easy, it actually blessed her with the title of 'angel'. She was greatly revered in the village. She also developed the ability to heal others as she got older – it's hard to say why. According to family tales, we are descendants from people in ancient times who used to work magic – witches, in other words – but perhaps it also had something to do with how people looked at her, maybe she was blessed by the heavens in order to fulfill the role she'd taken on. Either way, after that she was practically worshiped, while I was ignored… She wasn't the only angel in the village, though. There was also the 'black angel' – a boy around our age who lived alone near the outskirts. He was feared instead of loved, but my sister still felt a kinship with him, and in time, they grew _very_ close. But…things started to change as he grew older. A second, female 'black angel' started appearing in the village every so often after that, and it seemed like it did things to him – transformed his mind, warped his thoughts in horrible ways. Eventually, he started complaining about the same thing whenever he used his wings, and that was when he committed the murder. When he killed that man with no weapons except for the bizarre inhuman abilities he had at his dispose. Elizabeth saved him from facing execution, and said that she would help save him from whatever was happening to him. That was when she made the pendant. She said that it would help him fight the second black angel and set himself free, but… In the end, he went mad again and… And…_killed_…my father… Elizabeth…was…murdered…by the second black angel as punishment to Tilah after he regained control. I lost everyone but my mother… Even though I resented my sister, I…never wanted…" The woman's voice trailed off, fresh tears for an event that happened nineteen years ago starting to drip down her face.

Cooro didn't say anything, her explanation making the mismatched memories in his mind much clearer. And…nineteen years ago… That would indeed make sense with the idea that only one +anima like him could exist at a time. He…must've been born right after Tilah… "What happened to the pendant…?" He repeated as he forced himself to look back up and meet her in eyes, his voice subdued. "Would it…work for me…? You know why I want it…don't you?"

The woman just nodded, trying to wipe her face dry as she looked first at him, then over at the other wide-eyed, confused looking +anima behind him. A slight smile returned to her face.

"It will work for you just as it did for Tilah." Isabel answered simply, with almost surprising certainty in her voice. "But…if I tell you where it is… Will you not let things turn out like they did for Tilah? Will you be strong enough to keep the ones you love from getting hurt?" She asked, her damp, but fiercely intense green eyes burning right into his.

A moment passed in silence, words being spoken in their gazes that were left unsaid aloud. There was more. There was more that she wasn't saying, and that she wasn't going to. What this woman saw when she looked at him and what he himself saw when he looked in the mirror weren't the same. She was seeing something different – he could feel it in her gaze. It made his heart race, but he knew the woman wasn't going to share with him the image she saw – she'd already decided against it, and there was no way he could change her mind. In the end, Cooro simply nodded, unable to summon his voice to say anything else.

"Do you promise?" Isabel pressed further, unsatisfied.

"I…I do. I promise!" He suddenly announced, finding his tongue again. He took a brief glance back, passing his three old friend's a determined, warm grin. He let his gaze linger on Nana's for a moment, the girl's own green eyes adding fire to his resolution as they locked with his.

"…Then come with me…" Isabel started again, making both him and the others turn back towards her. "I'm not quite sure how you'll get it, but I'll show you where it is." She decided, gesturing for them to follow as she led them towards the door.

* * *

Isabel came to a halt in a part of the village separate from the central section that held most of the current population, where buildings were few and all of them empty. It was a clear, flat area, with places of shorter grass and weeds that looked as if they might have once been crop fields.

The four +anima stopped as well behind her, taking a few more glances around at the desolate, mostly overgrown landscape before realizing what had likely made the innkeeper stop.

Just in front of her was what looked like the top of a well, the open, brick-lined hole jutting up from the middle of the ground in what appeared to have been the center of this area of Willowind. They eyed it curiously, taking a few steps closer.

"As you can see, this district has been completely abandoned. Farming used to be our village's main source of profit, and this was the area where those farms were located. All of that went completely downhill as people started leaving, though. Everyone who worked at these places ended up abandoning the village…and that was the end of that. Now we make most of our money on exporting clothes and wooden furnishings that we craft instead." Isabel started, getting their attention again. "But…this area used to be quite flourishing, and to make that happen took quite a bit of work. Willowind has plenty of access to the ocean, but fresh water is a different story, and a lot of it was needed for the crops to grow successfully in the summer. There's a river a few miles down, so to rectify the problem, we built something of an underground tunnel connected to the river that would carry water to us when we opened it. The tunnel had holes above it in the places that went through the crop fields, so water could leak out from them if the level of it was high enough. We controlled that through doors inside that are used by levers – it's built at a slight angle to make the water flow, and with the doors we could isolate it in certain sections of our choosing, and that way get the level high enough to seep through the holes and dampen the crops. It was actually pretty advanced for a small village such as this." There was a tint of pride in her voice as she gave her explanation, but it ended in a sigh, the woman likely reminded of just how much more active and flourishing her home used to be.

"So… It was a tunnel used for irrigation?" Nana attempted to summarize.

Isabel nodded. "Right. What you're looking at there is the well opening of it where the farmers used to get their drinking water. We have a new one, without anything fancy, in the center of the village now, instead. This tunnel hasn't been used in a long time…"

Cooro turned back towards it as she finished speaking, carefully peering down the deep hole. A musty, stagnant scent of dampness reached his nose, and looking carefully, he thought he still saw a layer of water in the darkness below. A slight dismay started settling in his chest – he already had a pretty good idea of what Isabel was going to say next.

"My mother, Nadia…was furiously angry at Tilah after what happened." The innkeeper eventually resumed, forcing her voice to stay gentle. "He'd killed her husband…my father…and had also taken away one of her daughters – the one that'd made our family famous and loved. If Elizabeth had never gotten close to him, both her and my father would likely still be alive… They way she loathed him was understandable. She viewed the pendant my sister had made for him as a symbol of their involvement. It did no good, of course, but she was too resentful to let Tilah rest with something her daughter had given him. She snatched the pendant and dropped it down of the holes in the fields leading to the irrigation tunnels here, as if she could punish it for what'd happened…" The woman's voice trailed off, a distant sadness coming across her face. "I don't know which hole, or where it is, exactly…but in all likelihood, it's still sunk somewhere at the bottom of the tunnels…" She finished, biting her bottom lip.

"But…then how are we going to find it?" The crow +anima asked, his voice betraying the fact that he wasn't particularly thrilled to hear what she'd just said.

"Well…finding it shouldn't be too hard. Since you're just like Tilah, it should react to you and give off a slight glow in your presence, just as it did for him. It glows much brighter when it's in use, but the only time the light in it should fade completely when it's near you is if your human self does as well… It'll probably be dim, but if you look for a glow along the ground you should be able to locate it fairly easily, and the holes that lead to the surface should provide a small amount of light as well to help you see where you're going. The problem is…" She paused, Cooro tensing as he felt her turn eyes filled with scrutiny towards him. "There is still unused water remaining in the tunnels… Can you swim?"

"Umm… A little…" The dark-haired boy answered, looking down slightly. He never had felt particularly comfortable in water.

Isabel just sighed. "'A little' won't do. Most of the internal doors are open, so the water level should be balanced and low. But there are still places, namely the canals where the doors are, where you would be completely immersed without any chance of air for a fairly long stretch. It should certainly be possible to safely make it through them, but…unless you are a _very_ adequate swimmer, I wouldn't even try it… I mean, if you suddenly ran out of air halfway through one of the small canals…" Her voice faltered at the thought, the woman giving the crow +anima a serious, stern look. "I don't think you should go down there. You look too weak to be able to get through the canals quick enough." She decided directly, not mincing on her words. Even if she wasn't particularly pleased about getting involved in this, she didn't want the poor boy to drown down there.

Cooro didn't argue, his own eyes growing slightly wider. Instead, he bit his bottom lip, passing a hesitant glance over at his fish +anima companion. "Umm…Husky…?"

The former guard groaned, realizing what his old friend was asking even though he didn't finish the words. He'd come to anticipate the request as Isabel's explanation had gone on. "Fine!" He agreed with a grimace, feeling the eyes of all three of his companions set pleadingly on him now. "I guess I may as well try since we bothered coming all the way here…"

Cooro's eyes instantly brightened. "You're really going to look? Husky, thank you so much!" He beamed, in all honesty not having expected such an agreeable response.

"Yeah, that's definitely helpful!" Nana nodded gratefully, passing the silver-haired boy a smile.

Husky managed to return it just briefly as he reached down to take his shoes off, along with anything else extra besides his pants and shirt. The faster this was over with, the better.

Nana suddenly looked back to Isabel, noticing the slightly confused look on the woman's face. "He's a fish +anima." She explained. "He doesn't have to worry about drowning."

"But you are coming with me, you know." The former guard himself suddenly piped up, his words directed at Cooro. "The pendant will only glow if you're near it, right? That means I won't be able to find it by myself."

The relief on the crow +anima's face quickly started to fade. "But…" He stuttered.

"It'll be alright." Husky assured. "I'll do all the swimming. Just hang on to me."

Cooro gave a nervous sigh, realizing that he had no way out of it. He was right. If he wanted to find Tilah's pendant, he was going to have to go down there. "Okay…"

"Hurry and get ready, then." The fish +anima pressed. "Let's just get this done quickly. We have more dry clothes back at the inn, anyway."

"W…wait!" Nana interrupted, suddenly looking nervous herself. "Are you sure that…that's safe…?" She asked, worry tainting her green eyes.

"It'll be fine." Husky assured again, sounding slightly annoyed at her doubt. "I'll go check it out first and make sure that I can get him through quick enough."

With that, he passed another impatient glance towards Cooro, who quickly stepped closer and started taking off his own shoes. He set them on the ground near the well, carefully untying and placing the scarf Nana had made all those years ago on top as well.

Wordlessly, Husky walked over to the front of the large opening, where an old ladder still led the way down. Testing it with his right foot to make sure it would still hold his weight, he swung both his legs across, starting to descend.

Cooro wasn't so quick to start making his way down, lingering anxiously in front of the ladder and biting his lip as he looked at the dark water awaiting him below. Nana passed him a look that was just as anxious, coming to stand next to him as she gazed down worriedly herself.

"Look, Cooro…" The fish +anima sighed, looking up at him from where he stood a few bars down on the ladder. "I know just how awful it feels…so I won't let you drown."

The dark-haired boy blinked, realizing that his companion was referring to the incident that'd made him become a +anima. A cold, jealous woman who'd resented his mother had tried to drown him when he'd been nothing more than a small child – he'd only been moments away from death when his +anima had materialized and saved his life. It wasn't something the former guard liked to talk about.

Cooro smiled just slightly, finding himself feeling a bit reassured this time. After a last moment of hesitation, he swung his own legs around and onto the ladder.

"Be careful…" Nana whispered, the girl still feeling uneasy about the idea of him going down into that damp, desolate space.

The boy just nodded again, passing her a reassuring smile before starting to descend the ladder.

"Good luck!" The young woman called loud enough for both of them to hear as they got further down, trying to force the worry out of her voice. Senri just nodded in agreement, watching them descend next to her.

* * *

Cooro shivered, feeling the water swirl around his legs as he kicked them through the cold liquid. He was up to his waist, still partially hanging onto the last step of the ladder as he waited for his companion to remerge.

He stared at the dark, cramped tunnel the fish +anima had disappeared in, finding himself only gripping the bar tighter. Dangling his feet in the ocean was one thing, but the thought of being dragged through that black, completely underwater stone passage was another… Even looking at it made him feel uneasy, as if it was just waiting to swallow him up.

Eventually, he averted his eyes, the sound of splashing water startling him only moments later as his companion suddenly emerged next to him once more.

"It's fine." Husky announced. "I can get you through there easily."

Cooro didn't look too relieved, still not quite able to bring himself to let go of the ladder.

Husky gave the crow +anima a quick splash with the fish-like tail that had replaced his legs, making him gasp in surprise as cold water dampened his face. "Come on. Just grab on to my back." He pressed impatiently.

Biting his lip once more, the boy forced his hands away from the ladder and carefully placed them around the chest of his companion, making sure his grip was tight.

"Take a deep breath." The fish +anima suddenly ordered, the crow barely having time to before his companion all at once dove down with no further warning.

Cooro felt his head go under – a cold, wet chill seeping through his skin as the water brushed around his completely submerged body. He only clenched his fingers tighter, his heart pounding as his companion dragged him into the tight, enclosed canal.

It seemed to stretch on without end, making the boy tightly shut his eyes. He could still feel the liquid surge around them as they moved, struggling to keep his breath as he felt his lungs tighten.

He all at once felt the water around his head give way with a splash, immediately taking in a deep, rapid breath as they broke through the surface. He spit a few stray drops of water from his lungs with a few coughs, his frantic breathing still irregular as he opened his eyes.

"You okay?" Husky asked, his face right in front of his.

"Y…yeah…" Cooro sputtered. "I'm…just not used to this…"

The boy glanced around, realizing that there were a few spots of light illuminating the tunnel from above through holes in the stone ceiling.

"Well…we're below one of the field's now, so I'm going to go back under and see if there's anything glowing on the ground in his area. Keep your eyes open too, okay? I'll keep bringing you back up for air, but if you ever really need a breath, just tug on the collar of my shirt and I'll go up right away." Husky explained, waiting a few more moments for a nod, and for his companion's breathing to even out.

There was nothing in the section below the first field, neither of them seeing anything no matter how many times they went under. The only thing they could see below them was blackness. It was impossible to tell even how deep or shallow the tunnel was – the dim lights above not reaching the bottom of the water. It made them both shiver, the darkness almost making it seem like they were hovering over a gaping, endless hole.

Much to Cooro's dismay, they ended up having to go through another canal to find a new area to search, the boy gasping for breath again as they emerged.

This time, though, something quickly caught the crow +anima's eyes as they went back under. Amidst the blackness, a dim, but penetrating light glimmered in one of the corners, making his gaze open wider as he glanced over at it.

The pendant! That had to be it – the sliver of light coming from it just as Isabel had described!

He gave Husky a slight bump in the shoulder, gesturing over to it as his companion looked over. Looking equally surprised for a moment, he quickly switched course and headed over to it.

Feeling his chest start to tighten as his lungs craved again for air, Cooro reached out and snatched the dimly glowing shape quickly, giving a tug to the fish +anima's collar.

Husky took him back to the surface promptly, the crow +anima taking a few rapid gasps before slowly noticing that the hand clutching the heavy object he'd grabbed was slightly warmer than the rest of his chilled body.

He hesitated, suddenly feeling his heart pound again as he nervously brought it to the surface of the water, the object suddenly becoming visible in the pale light from above.

Through dripping strands of dark hair, Cooro stared down at the dimly glowing shape in his hands, not even noticing as Husky curiously followed his gaze.

In his palm rested what looked like a large, deep purple glass marble embedded in a dark silver base. Extending on both sides of the silver were intricately carved, feathered wings, large enough to have their tips stretch over the edges of his hand. In the center of the marble, etched into the glass, was the same shape that marked both of his shoulders.

Cooro kept looking down at it with wide eyes, somehow feeling soothed by the dim glow that emanated from the familiar marking resting in the glass.

_Tilah, I made this for you. I want you to wear it always, and never take it off… Don't take it off because it will help make sure I never lose you. I don't ever want to lose you…_

"Hey…is something wrong?" Husky asked gently as he noticed the edges of his companion's lips start to downturn as he continued gazing down at the strange object in his palm. He'd been staring wordlessly at it for several moments, an odd, distant melancholy having seeped into his eyes.

The dark-haired young man looked back up quickly at the sound of his companion's voice. "N…no. I'm fine…" He assured, trying to dismiss the memory that had drifted into his head as he passed the object in his hands another brief look.

"So…that thing there is the pendant? We found it?" Husky pressed, waiting for a confirmation.

"Y…yeah! This is Tilah's pendant! We found it!" Cooro answered excitedly, brightness suddenly returning to his voice as he all at once undid the stiff latch and locked the silver chain around his own neck. The pendant came to rest just below his throat, the gentle warmth feeling familiar and comfortable against his chest. A genuine smile lit his face, the boy passing the grin to his companion. "Come on, let's get back to the others." He urged, eager to leave now that they'd found what they'd come for.

But it was just as they were about to dive under once more that a sudden, terrifying metallic groan spread through the tunnel, making the walls tremble slightly as it echoed. The two +anima instantly stiffened, gasping in surprise as a wave abruptly smacked into them from behind, momentarily submerging them. Husky found himself having to climb higher to reach the surface, both of their eyes tainted with new alarm as they broke through the still disturbed water.

"W…what was that?" Cooro sputtered, glancing around nervously. The tunnels had been completely still and stagnant until only a moment ago.

"I don't know, but…the water level's rising!" Husky observed urgently, realizing to his dismay that he had to keep pushing both himself and his companion up in order to keep their heads above the splashing liquid.

"What?" Cooro gasped in horror, suddenly realizing that the top of the tunnel did indeed look closer than it had before as he looked up. The previous happiness abruptly vanished from his eyes, replaced by cold alarm.

They both stared up in almost disbelief as a few more moments passed, before turning their gazes in the direction the water had started flowing from. It was hard to tell in the dim light, but it seemed like the movement in the liquid was surging from the opening of the far canal.

Had someone…opened the tunnels to the river again…?

"Hold on tight – we have to get out of here!" Husky all at once ordered urgently, the reality of the situation suddenly sinking in.

As far as he understood it, if someone had once more opened the tunnel to the river and started playing with the canal doors, they could both end up completely trapped inside…unable to escape as the tunneled well started to completely fill with water.

Without waiting, he abruptly dove and dashed for the canal they'd come through as his companion grabbed on, realizing to his relief that it's door was still open.

He, on one hand, couldn't drown…the worst thing that could happen to him was getting stuck until someone opened the doors again and evened out the water, but… He could feel Cooro's arms dig into him as he continually latched them tighter around his chest, the fish +anima able to feel his companion's heart as it pounded frantically against his back.

No. They had to get out of there! He'd sworn to him that he wouldn't let him drown!

He emerged only briefly to let his friend breath as he reached the other side of the canal, his own heart throbbing as he realized that the water level was even higher in this section. He didn't even give the terrified Cooro a chance to say anything, immediately rushing back under with him as soon as he'd snatched a breath. They had to go through just one more canal and they'd be back at the ladder that led out of the well.

He dove for it, rushing through it until a dark, firm barrier forced him to stop. His heart abruptly sunk, a cold sense of panic all at once chilling his veins.

The door to this canal had been closed. They were sealed off from the only exit.

Feeling Cooro's trembling grip grasp him even tighter as they stared at it, he had no chance but to immediately turn back and dart for the surface.

This time there was no extra space above them, their faces barely managing to completely clear the water as they broke the surface.

"What is this? What's happening?" Cooro practically screamed, the alarm in his eyes having changed to pure, wild terror as he gasped for breath.

"Someone has to be messing with the doors – I think someone's purposely doing this!" Husky answered angrily, clenching his fists.

There would be no other reason for the tunnels to purposely fill up – Isabel had said they hadn't been used in years. Someone was fully intending to trap them, and whoever it was, was after Cooro, he realized. They had to be, if water was their weapon. Someone was trying to drown Cooro!

But…with no way to reach the exit…

A bitter, aching hopelessness all at once spread through him, making Husky feel his own hands start to tremble. There was no way out. There…was nothing he could do.

"I'm scared!" Cooro cried, frantically struggling to keep his head above water as it kept rushing in. "I'm scared! I want out of here! I want out! _Help_!" He screamed, directing his voice up towards one of the holes above them.

* * *

"Help!"

"…Hmm?" Nana looked up from where she laid in the grass next to Senri, with Isabel wandering around a few feet away, as they waited for their companions to return.

She blinked her previously closed eyes. Everything looked the same, but she could've sworn that she'd just heard a quiet, muffled cry.

"…Cooro?" Suddenly feeling uneasy, the young woman got to her feet and let her sensitive bat ears appear, trying to catch the voice again. It was only an instant before her heart jumped.

She heard the voices of both of her companion's crying out, their voices muted in her sharp ears by the rumble of rushing water.

"Cooro! Husky! Something's wrong!" She shouted aloud, stirring the other two people waiting as she frantically glanced around, trying to find anything that might be the cause of a problem.

She didn't have to look long, suddenly noticing the figure of what looked like an older woman kneeled down near the base of some sort of mechanical structure. A lever, she realized. It was one of the levers that controlled the flow of water down in the tunnels!

Nana's eyes widened as she looked over the woman. It was the older innkeeper, Nadia. She still had her hands on the lever, a satisfied smile lighting her face as she listened to the terrified pleas ringing out through one of the small holes in field next to her. Rage rushed through her, making her fists clench as the heartbeat in her chest surged.

"Stop it! What do you think you're doing?" The young woman screamed, shifting into her +anima in full as her wings appeared behind her, beating frantically as she charged towards the older woman. She let out a screech as she approached, knocking her away from the lever.

"Nana!" Cooro cried through the holes in the tunnel, hearing from down below. "We're trapped, get us out!"

"Cooro!" The girl quickly turned away from the startled, fallen innkeeper and back to the lever at the sound of her companion's frantic words. Just as she was about to push it back, however, a hand suddenly grabbed her from behind, shoving her roughly to the ground and quickly pressing her face against the dirt before she could let out another sonic screech.

"Don't interfere, girl!" A harsh, male voice ordered. A man had suddenly jumped out from one of the abandoned buildings near the lever, not letting her touch it. "This is for the white angel! The black angel who led her to her death will perish once more for daring to haunt us again!"

"Mother! W…what is this?" Isabel stuttered, rushing up along with Senri, who'd already shifted to his +anima form.

They didn't even have time to react before more men emerged from the building, taking the two by surprise and forcing them both down, despite their frantic, startled struggling. Even more gathered protectively by the lever that opened the entrance.

The older innkeeper's face distorted in malice, her aged face harsh as she gazed up at her remaining daughter. "You know what I'm doing. I heard you talking back at the inn, and I rallied up the villagers to help avenge your sister and your father! That demon that took them away from me… From us! How could you have tried to help him?"

Isabel frowned, glaring defiantly at her mother. "I was doing what Elizabeth would've wanted! She wouldn't want this! I know what she said after what happened to father, but…at the same time, I know how much he meant to her. I'm sure that she's forgiven him now, wherever she is. She would want him to have the pendant. She would want us to help finish what she couldn't, not this! She wouldn't want you to do this to him!"

"Nonsense!" Nadia screamed back, her voice venomous. "I'm doing this for her! I'm doing this for her and your father! It was because of her closeness with him that they're both dead! She wouldn't want us to continuing living her mistake! Don't interfere!"

"But I'm not… I'm not Tilah! I'm sorry about what happened, but I'm not him! I've never even been here before! I don't really know any of you! Please, let us go!" Cooro begged with his voice short of breath, making out the fierce conversation taking place above him.

The face of the innkeeper just wrinkled in hatred, the woman turning to send her words directly down into the tunnel. "Stupid boy!" She spat. "Have you not realized it by now? You _are_ Tilah! They died because of you! You took them both away from me! 'Every time the black angel dies, he will be reborn back into the world with a new name and a new body!' That's what my Elizabeth told me!"

* * *

"…What…?" Cooro breathed, for a moment forgetting the rising water as he stared up in the direction of the voice, his mouth falling agape as something inside him went numb.

"You died nineteen years ago, only to come prancing back here as if you'd done nothing! As if you hadn't brought the tragedy that destroyed this village and our family! As if your new face had erased those sins!" The woman above screamed, her voice seething in rage. "You deserve this! You deserve to suffer every bit as much as those whose lives you destroyed! Say farewell to the face you have now, because you're about to lose it!"

Cooro didn't say anything, realizing that tears were mixing with the water on his face as he kept staring up.

Was that…how it was? Those faces he'd worn in his nightmares… They were…

They were him. They were him and the nightmares were the memories he'd lost when he'd lost their faces. Memories that still drifted through his mind when his consciousness rested in the abyss of sleep. He'd lived many more years than anyone else near him had, but spread across a total of seven different bodies. At the heart of all the tragedies he'd seen had been him himself. He'd been both suffering and making others suffer for longer than he could even fathom.

He was Tilah. As ridiculous as it sounded when the woman spoke those words, he knew they were true. In some place, at the back of his consciousness, he'd always known, but he hadn't wanted to believe it. This village had been his home. The house, the diary, the pendant, they'd all been his. And Elizabeth and her father, he'd been the one that…

Even if the face it wore wasn't always the same, there was only one black angel with the wings of a crow.

And only one with the wings of a raven. The women in his nightmares… Catherine… She too, was…

"…What am I…?" Cooro whispered, his eyes filled with a terrified, cold wonder. He wasn't human. He was a demon in disguise. One who'd apparently ripped through one 'human mask' after another. "_What am I_?" He wailed, his voice rising to a hysterical, horrified scream.

"Cooro, snap out of it!" Husky suddenly ordered, feeling the boy's grip on him start to loosen.

The dark-haired boy blinked, reality hitting him again as another wave wacked against him. He quickly tightened the grasp around his companion once more, wordless as the rising water forced him to tilt his head for air.

A new fear started pounding in his chest.

If he didn't make it out of the well… If he died here…

He would become a child again. Someone new, with a new name and a new face. Someone who was doomed to suffer as much as he had. It would all start over. Everything!

The life he'd spent nineteen years living, his own face, and those of his friends…

To him, it would all become… It would all become nothing more than…_a strange dream_. His entire life and everything he'd known would suddenly mean nothing more to him than a strange dream that kept him awake at night.

No. No!

He fought to keep his nose above water, suddenly aware again of the warmth coming from the pendant Elizabeth had made for him. His eyes opened wider as a thought came to him, the boy grasping it with one of his hands.

"Husky!" He managed, coughing as he desperately struggled for a breath. "Take me back under, take me back to the door!"

"Wha…?" The fish +anima sputtered, not understanding why his drowning companion wanted to be taken away from the last bit of air there was left.

"Just take me to the door!" Cooro repeated sternly, not having time to explain.

Husky didn't argue again, diving back under and hurrying over to where the door blocked their way through to the exit.

He felt abrupt movement stir the water as he swam, and a new weight suddenly weigh him down from behind, his gaze growing bigger as he glanced over in his companion's direction.

Two large, black wings had appeared from his old friend's shoulders, dragging limply along behind him in the water, and feathers now covered the arms that clung desperately around his chest. He'd initiated his +anima.

For a few seconds, the former guard could feel his heart leap into his throat, instantly recalling what'd taken place the last time he'd seen the boy in his black-winged form. But…the pendant around his neck had started pulsating with a new brightness, and his eyes were as clear and human as ever as they shared a glance.

As they reached the door, however, Cooro outstretched a palm in front of him. A sharp blade of air shot forward even through the water, slicing through the stone door and sending it crumbling in pieces to the bottom of the canal.

The unnatural sight sent a shiver down his spine, but Husky wasted no time in rushing through the now open tunnel and out into the well they'd entered from.

To his relief, Cooro took in an immediate, frantic gasp of air as they broke the surface. The water level in the well was still rising, but at least this time there was no roof.

The crow +anima let out a deep, relieved sigh, finally able to get all the air his lungs wanted, before looking down at his palms. He'd used his bizarre abilities before, but never when his human self, as he was right now, actually felt in control of what he was doing. It felt…strange. And it felt strange to be able to use his wings without feeling the haze in his mind threaten to overtake him, too.

He could still feel it, the different set of desires and thoughts that tried to transform his consciousness. But…he could also feel the warmth of the pendant sooth his human senses, protecting them from fading against the demon's mind fighting to replace them.

"Hurry, get up." Husky's voice suddenly prompted, forcing him out of his thoughts as Cooro turned his attention to the now largely submersed ladder. Right. He didn't have time to dwell on it right now. He had to get back to the surface.

The former guard switched out of his +anima and got on himself as the dark-haired boy set his feet on the bars, moving a few steps closer to the opening of the well.

Those couple bars were all he got to ascend, Cooro suddenly feeling a harsh, painful tug on the soaked wings that still drooped behind him. He tensed in surprise, letting out a pained yelp as he was abruptly dragged out of the well by the dark, feathery shapes that extended from his shoulders and thrown to the ground.

He instinctively tried to switch out of his +anima, but it did no good – the unfamiliar fingers now clenched tightly on his wings kept them from retracting.

Three villagers had their grip on him, holding him tightly as they kept a knife just above the base of his wings.

His startled heart pounding anew, the boy managed to spin his gaze around as he heard Nana let out a yelp of her own, only to end up facing none other than Nadia herself, who now held the struggling, gagged girl with a blade to her neck, along with the help of the other villagers who still kept Senri and Isabel suppressed against the ground. The young woman's startled eyes were wide in fear, as she gazed almost apologetically at her dark-winged old friend. The innkeeper had snatched her off the ground as soon as he himself had been captured.

A wry, delightfully satisfied smile graced Nadia's aged, but sharp features, the woman looking over him triumphantly. There was a tint of wickedness in that grin that looked out of place on her wrinkled face, twisted pleasure shining in her eyes as she watched him struggle.

"It's true that the black angels are always instantly reborn after death…" She started slowly, her lips still upturned. "But there is one way to send them to their final punishment. Don't you remember? You and Elizabeth uncovered it together, when you were looking for a way to get rid of Nema. Your face, your voice, your name, your life, your body, everything changes except for one thing – your wings! They are the symbol of who you are! Take those away from you, and the next death will be your last! Without your wings, you will no longer be reborn, but go rot in Hell as you deserve!"

Cooro's eyes opened wider, his mouth falling agape as his mind momentarily returned to the last night he'd spent as Tilah.

Of course! That's what he'd been trying to do!

He hadn't wanted to merely kill Nema, but to sever her wings first. If he'd managed to do that, then everything would've ended. But killing her alone would simply lead it all to begin again. And it had. She'd returned for him as Catherine.

Realization suddenly struck him. If he'd been executed as planned back at Astar – hung after being stripped of his wings – the continuous conflict between him and her would've finally been truly over for him then, too. But, now…after only a short while of freedom, he was back in a very similar situation, with Nana threatened by the blade near her neck, and a knife hovering near his wings.

This was what the woman had wanted, he realized, not to see him drown in a well. The blind panic she'd displayed immediately upon his arrival had completely faded, replaced by a cold, calculating sense of vengeance. She'd realized that he'd end up exposing his +anima in order to escape after he found the pendant, and that's what her and the other villagers had been waiting for.

"We'll be the ones to send you to your punishment." Nadia announced. "We'll sever your wings from your back, and then thrust the knife through your throat. If you so much as try to pull away, this girl's head will roll. She'll die just like my daughter did. You wouldn't want that, would you?" She taunted, gesturing to Nana as she gripped her even tighter.

Senri struggled desperately to push himself up as anger blazed in his eyes, but the men on top of him kept him and Isabel firmly down, the woman looking up at her own mother in a mixture of shock and horror.

Cooro said nothing, unable to resist. He couldn't. He wouldn't let Nana end up like Elizabeth.

He let himself sag under the grip of the men surrounding him, his head hung in defeat. He didn't even have the strength to fight anymore, the things he'd heard having made his heart numb.

Maybe now his seemingly endless struggle would finally be over, even if it wasn't in the way he'd wanted. He wouldn't be able to keep his promise to Nana, but he couldn't watch her die because of him.

He remained completely motionless, waiting for the pain he'd surely feel as his wings were ripped from his shoulders.

But it never came.

Instead, shrill, broken screams suddenly sounded from behind him, the grips of the villagers falling away as he felt warm drops of crimson splash against him.

He didn't even have to turn around to know what'd happened or who now stood behind him, having felt the haze in his mind all at once strengthen. He instantly put away his wings now freed, the sensation starting to make him uncomfortable again.

Alarm filled the gazes of the people facing him, Nadia's growing wide as it was tainted with absolute horror. "Th…the…second black angel!" She stuttered in disbelief, obviously not having prepared for the appearance of the woman she'd known as 'Nema'.

Catherine just smiled knowingly, her lips upturning slightly at the terror and rage in the old innkeeper's eyes. "Nadia…let him and the girl free, or I will slaughter you and your only remaining daughter as easily as I did the one with white wings." She threatened, her eyes resting firmly on the woman's. She was already too late to stop the boy from getting the pendant back, but she wasn't about to let that old woman take him away from her. She was fool. She didn't have even close to the power that she was trying to exercise.

Cooro finally shot his gaze over to her unpleasantly familiar shape, briefly surprised.

Of course! That was one way that she was different from him. She didn't lose her memories each time she got a new face. That would explain some of the things she'd said to him that he'd never understood.

This time, Nadia was clearly scared. Her resolute, cold confidence suddenly disappeared as her aged limbs started to tremble.

Her grip on Nana loosened, the wide-eyed girl falling to the ground as the innkeeper let go completely, backing away.

Nadia was quickly gone, immediately turning and darting in the opposite direction. Apparently, even she knew that resisting against the demon that took away her daughter was quite different than threatening a shaken boy who her words made tremble. Fighting against her would end in nothing more than a waste of her life. She would be the one to face the same fate as Elizabeth, and she didn't want that, either.

With a last look behind her at the +anima, Isabel followed her mother, retreating from the monster that'd killed her sister. Only the shaken villagers remained, frozen in place with their knives all outstretched threateningly.

Catherine just glared at them for a moment, before her eyes dropped to the four +anima who were struggling to recover.

It took Cooro a few seconds before he realized that her gaze had settled not on him, but on Nana, her cold, inhuman eyes narrowed and set directly on the girl.

The boy clenched his fists, getting to his feet once more. But before he could do anything, the black-winged woman just passed him a quick glance, all at once turning away and wordlessly returning to the air with a few flaps of her wings.

Silent and shaken, the four +anima watched her leave, hearing the frightened guards abandon them and take off after Nadia as soon as they felt it was safe. Without the innkeeper there, and after having unexpectedly faced the fiercer of the two demons that'd once haunted their home, they lost their resolution to fight.

The crow +anima kept his eyes on the horizon as Catherine's dark shape was swallowed by the winter clouds. How strange… Apparently, she was going to let them be for now, but something about the way she'd looked at Nana made him feel uneasy.

He could still sense the pendant dangle over his pounding heart, not even the soothing warmth it emitted calming its uneven beating. His consciousness still felt numb, aching from the memories Nadia had unlocked. They still didn't feel real…but, they hurt, making his mind throb and his body tremble. He swallowed hard, his gaze staying fixed in the direction where the woman who'd haunted him for longer than a lifetime had disappeared.

Their wings… The dark-haired boy found his hands subconsciously moving to the markings on his shoulders. Despite everything, he'd found what he came for. He'd found both the truth behind his strange dreams, and the pendant he'd seen in them…as well as a way to finally get rid of Catherine…

But then…why did a part of him wish he'd never come?

"Cooro…!" Nana was the first to break the stillness, suddenly running up to the boy as she called out his name. This time it was her turn to bury her head in his chest as her eyes watered, her muscles tense as she wrapped her arms around him.

Even though his distant, lost eyes still hovered on the sky, he returned the embrace, feeling their other two companions join them.

All of their minds still reeling, Nana again was the first to speak, voicing what they all were thinking. "We have to get out of here!"

* * *

_Well, at least now Cooro is freer to use his wings, and they found a method to fight Catherine out of all that._

_Please review and stay tuned!_


	21. Chapter Twenty: Invasion

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**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_Finally, here's the next installment! I apologize again for the even longer wait this time…I had both a busy work __schedule_ and a bit of difficulty with this chapter… Like the last, this is another long one, though.

_Anyway, at long last, on to the twentieth full chapter!_

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**Chapter Twenty: **Invasion

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Evening was closing in. The gray winter sky was still illuminated by cold sunlight, but it wouldn't be for much longer. It was already starting to fade, the dark, wispy clouds that were drifting on the breeze beginning to hide its bright face. It looked like it was going to snow again that night.

Cooro walked with his head down, absently watching his feet crush the frozen blades of grass blanketing the field. He could see them move, but he could hardly feel them anymore.

He could hardly feel anything. None of it felt real.

The dark-haired boy instinctively had his arms wrapped around chilled body as he padded forward, but he was barely aware of the icy air penetrating fiercely though his wet clothes. The voices of his companions seemed muffled and faded, too, their words not completely registering in his mind.

"It'll be getting dark soon, and judging from those clouds, it looks like it's going to snow again. What are we going to do about shelter? I'm freezing here!" Husky complained, his own clothes soaked.

"I don't know…" Nana admitted, looking worried. "We can't stay out here with you two completely drenched, and we don't even have any blankets or supplies anymore! We have to keep walking until we find another village! We have no other choice…"

The four of them had fled down the ruined streets of Willowind's farming district, leaving the forlorn old town behind. While most of the village was surrounded by woods, the area extending from the abandoned crop section remained as a single flat field for a few more miles – they had yet to reach another forested part of the mountain base. The truth was, they hadn't gotten that far for the length of time they'd been walking. Cooro was only vaguely aware that he was dragging in the back, slowing down their pace as he struggled to make his feet keep moving.

"There's another small village just a little ways past the next bunch of trees… I remember it…" The crow +anima commented without looking up, his voice distant and quiet.

The other three fell silent, turning and looking back at him – it was the first he'd spoken since they'd left the village. He didn't even seem to even notice their gazes, though. A brief frown appeared on Nana's lips, before she quickly pushed it away. "Good. Then let's keep moving, if it's not too far we should be able to make it easily."

They'd been forced to leave most of their supplies behind in Willowind. Aside from the few things that they'd taken with them to the well, all the rest of it remained at Nadia's inn, and there'd been no way they could've gone back there!

Nadia's inn…

Cooro sighed, feeling his body tremble as he exhaled. Images of that inn when it was new drifted back into his mind once again – when none of the windows had been broken, when the voices of visitors had filled its active halls…when Elizabeth had waved at him from the top story as he'd passed by…

The boy turned and looked back, gazing over at the old village as it began to vanish in the distance.

That inn, the mayor's house where Elizabeth had spent her older years, the willow trees that swung in the sea breeze, the worn port along the ocean, and the empty, forgotten house hidden in the woods at the village's border… He would probably never see those places again. After what happened, he would likely never be able to return.

_My…home…_

A voice within grieved. It almost didn't feel like his, but it ached dully in his chest and stirred up the new emptiness that was growing inside of him.

The more what Nadia had told him sunk in, the more everything started to feel like a dream.

After all, that's what his life there had become, right? What made the life he was living now any different?

He thought he understood now. He was Mirka, he was Tilah, he was all those other name's he'd heard in his sleep…but at the same time, he was nobody. He was nothing but a demon. That's all that would remain of him when he finally woke up from his dream…

Cooro… That was just another name, that's all – a label placed on his seventh body.

And it was an identity that was getting harder and harder to hold on to…

"…Cooro?"

He whipped his head back quickly as the name suddenly sounded aloud, startled out of his thoughts.

It was Nana, her clear green eyes tainted with concern as they met his. She'd padded back over to him, with his other two companions watching anxiously from a few feet ahead. "Come on…" She prompted again, her voice gentle but pleading. "You're freezing. We have to keep moving…" She reached out, taking his right hand in hers and intertwining their fingers.

There was still distance in his gaze, but he moved it just slightly, to meet hers. …At least the warmth of her palm against his felt real.

That's right. This is what he was fighting for. She was the person most dear to him, and Husky and Senri were his treasured friends – the closest thing he'd ever had to a family.

He wanted to stay with them. He was going to find a way to keep this life.

And indeed, they did need to keep moving. He needed to get away from here – away from that inn, that cabin in the forest, the familiar streets weaving through the run-down houses. He couldn't let himself sink into thoughts like that again.

Cooro paused a moment longer, still struggling to make the emptiness go away. It never did, but, eventually, he just nodded.

Nana gave a slight smile, but instead of continuing ahead with the others, she kept her hand clasped around his as she started walking. He followed along with her without resistance, forcing himself to move forward as they continued moving towards the forest.

The group of four had only taken a few more steps, though, when a voice suddenly rose from behind them.

"Wait…! Please…stop!"

Everyone but Cooro spun around, turning to look at the white-haired woman dashing up to them. She was moving as quickly as her legs would carry her, with a few bags slung around her shoulders.

The crow +anima tensed. He'd recognized the voice instantly – Isabel.

"Oh, good…I managed to catch you! I'm so glad you're all alright! I was afraid that…" The woman's eyes trailed off to the dark-haired young man who was still turned away from her. She didn't say anything, just biting her lip. She could understand if he didn't want to see her. "I saw that witch take off from the distance, and I came looking for you." She continued. "You left all of your bags back at the inn…and you can't be out in wet clothes and without blankets in weather like this!"

Isabel took the familiar-looking bags down, holding them out to the group. "There isn't a whole lot in the next village over, so I packed some extra food from our kitchen inside, too." She commented, a warm smile gracing her delicate features.

Nana grinned back, in spite of herself. She couldn't say that she'd enjoyed meeting Isabel, but all the same she didn't dislike her – it was quite surprising that the younger innkeeper had come all that way just to return their belongings. She couldn't say the same thing about Nadia herself, but her remaining daughter seemed like a kind woman. "Thanks, Isabel!" She beamed gratefully, her and the others eagerly taking back their bags.

"It's the least I could do after the torment my mother caused you… I'm so terribly sorry…" She repeated, recalling when her own mother had threatened Cooro and held a blade to Nana's neck. "I can hardly believe what she did…please…believe that she is not usually like that…"

A brief, rather awkward silence fell upon the group, until Isabel all at once reached down into her own bag, suddenly remembering something.

"Oh!" She started, pulling out what looked like a small book. "I almost forgot! I found this laying out on a table downstairs, too. I wasn't sure what it was at first, but…then I saw the name inside, and figured that it was yours…"

The woman held it out specifically to Cooro, waiting for the boy to finally turn around.

Hesitantly, he did, forcing himself to see her all too familiar face. His eyes quickly widened, though, as he took what was in her hands.

He opened it to the front page, running his fingers delicately across the name written on the faded paper. Tilah. This was 'Tilah's' journal! He must've left it at the inn lobby the last time he'd been there.

Isabel just smiled, watching the amazed, distant look on the young man's face as he gazed over the small book. "Well…I guess you all better get going if you want to make it to shelter before nightfall. Please…" She paused, managing to catch the crow +anima's eyes again. "…Stay strong, all right? I know that's what Elizabeth would want for you, too…"

"…I will, Isabel. Thank you." Cooro answered, keeping her gaze for just a moment longer, until the woman herself began to move away with a last, pleased smile.

She waved as the group of +anima began to leave, and all four of them briefly returned it, before turning back towards the trees and continuing farther into the field and away from Willowind.

This time Cooro didn't look back, fighting the lump in his throat and holding the journal close to his chest as he left the village behind.

"Goodbye…Tilah." Isabel mouthed, too quietly for anyone to hear as she watched them vanish into the distance.

* * *

Nana took a sip of tea from the cup in her hands, smiling as she felt the warm liquid work its way into her cold body.

They'd been traveling for three days now, and had already passed the village neighboring Willowind. There had indeed not been much there, and now that they had their supplies back, they'd had little need to stay there more than a single night. It was hard to tell exactly where they were at the angle they were approaching from, but if they traveled quickly, they figured there was a good chance that they could finally reach the old war fortress in a matter of hours.

Husky suddenly got up with a tired sigh after a quick glance at the fire in between all of them, placing his own cup of tea on the ground next to where he'd been sitting. Carefully, he reached over and pulled a bowl that contained warm broth away from the flames. "It looks ready to me…" He decided, already reaching back inside their main bag for extra cups and utensils.

"I'm glad you remembered. I would've forgotten to check it…" Nana admitted as he handed her a full bowl. She put her tea down and instead took a sip of the soup. The food Isabel had given them was all they had left, and she'd only packed foods in their bag that would keep. The rather forced together ingredients made a soup that tasted a bit odd…but at least it was warm – that was something indispensible in the weather they were traveling in.

Senri eagerly took his, too, wordlessly starting to swallow it down as soon as Husky handed it to him.

Cooro, though, didn't even look up as the silver-haired boy padded over with his share.

Unlike the others, he had his limbs splayed out across the ground near the fire, lying down underneath his quilt. In one hand was a familiar small book, his eyes focused on it as if it was the only thing he could see.

"Cooro, here's yours. You should eat something." Husky instructed, staring down at him with a frown as he placed the bowl beside him.

No answer.

"Cooro!" He repeated louder, a note of irritation sharpening his voice.

"…Huh…? What…?" The crow +anima finally glanced up through his dark hair, his eyes still distant and groggy. "Oh…" He continued, suddenly noticing the bowl of soup. "It's okay…I'm not hungry."

"But…" Nana interrupted, looking over in his direction from her place by the fire. "You have to be – we've been walking for days and you've hardly eaten anything! You haven't even touched your tea, either – it'd be good for you to have something warm."

"I'm fine under the blanket." The boy assured with a fake smile, replying to the second part of her statement and completely ignoring the first. His eyes went right back to the journal in his hands as soon as he finished speaking.

Nana sighed in frustration, shuffling distractedly under the quilt wrapped around her own shoulders.

That stupid book.

She knew that it wasn't her fault, but right now, she hated Isabel for bringing it.

It'd been three days, but all he'd done was sit silently and read it whenever he had the chance. It was as if none of them were even there anymore.

The boy wasn't the same as he had been when they'd first arrived at Willowind. This Cooro was even emptier than the one she'd met in front of her old cabin on the orchard.

He didn't show any fear, or any deep sadness. Just…nothing.

At first, it'd seemed like he was going to recover from the incident at the village, but ever since he'd gotten the journal returned, it was as if the pages had slowly sucked him into a trance he couldn't escape from. Or rather, it was the memories that went with those pages, she realized. They were consuming him.

Nana glanced over again in his direction, biting her bottom lip. Cooro had lived another life. More than one, actually. She couldn't even begin to imagine what that might feel like. But that didn't mean the one he had now wasn't important, did it?

The girl swallowed hard as she realized there was a lump in her throat, feeling an emptiness starting to nip at her own chest.

She missed him.

"Hey…Nana."

The young woman quickly snapped her gaze away from him at the sound of her silver-haired companion's voice, startled out of her thoughts. It was only then she realized that she'd let her own spoon go limp in her hands. "Y…yeah?" She answered, trying not to let her worry show on her face.

"We still need to decide if we're going to try making it to the fortress before dark or not… Would you mind flying up and seeing just how close we are when you're finished eating?" Husky asked, taking another sip of his own soup.

"Oh…sure." She nodded, forcing down a spoonful herself. She suddenly glanced back at where Cooro lay next to the fire, a thought coming to her head. She finished her share of the food in a matter of minutes, before getting to her feet and padding over to him.

The girl kneeled down beside him, giving the crow +anima a playful poke in the shoulder when his eyes stayed glued to the book, getting his attention as he startled slightly.

"Cooro, Husky asked if I could fly up and see how far the fortress is from here. Do you want to come with me?" She asked eagerly as he looked up at her, passing him a hopeful smile. "You have the pendant, so you can fly whenever you want again now, right?"

The dark-haired boy just blinked. "I'm comfortable right now, actually… I think I'd rather just stay here…" He answered simply, already looking down once more.

Nana's face instantly fell, her hurt and disappointment undisguised. It only deepened, too, as the boy failed to even notice.

"But…" She tried again, the enthusiasm sapped from her voice. "You haven't flown at all since you've gotten the pendant – I would've thought you'd be excited to be able to use your wings again… Come on, don't you want to come…?"

"I just…don't feel like it right now…" Cooro insisted sternly, letting his gaze drop again.

Nana felt the lump start to well up in her throat again. "Cooro… Even after you worked so hard to get that pendant…?"

This time the young man didn't look up. "People died because I went searching for it…" He stated dryly, his voice hardly more than a pathetic, meek whimper.

The girl paused, biting her bottom lip. He was talking about the villagers Catherine had killed in order to protect him from Nadia, she realized. Her own gaze fell slightly. "But that wasn't your fault… Nadia and Catherine, they…"

"I'm sorry… I just want to rest, Nana…" Cooro interrupted, only pulling the quilt he was laying under up a bit higher.

Nana stopped, her eyes staring blankly ahead now as they suddenly started to dampen.

She forced herself to hold back the tears, her face turning slightly red in embarrassment as she realized that Husky and Senri were both watching.

Her hurt abruptly started to morph into irritation and impatience, the girl abruptly getting to her feet. She suddenly grabbed the blanket that was shielding Cooro from the cold, snatching it off of him roughly.

"Hey!" The boy protested in surprise, rapidly sitting up and wrapping his arms around himself. "What're you…?

"Fine!" Nana spat. "Stay here and read that stupid book, then! But I'm taking this with me!" She announced, holding up his blanket as well as her own, so that he couldn't grab hers himself. "You've been lying under it far too much lately!"

"But…Nana, that's…" Cooro just blinked in surprise, taken aback. "It's…cold…"

"If you want it, then why don't you come and get it?" She taunted, changing into her +anima form and taking to the air in a single motion, blankets still in hand. She beat her wings quickly, lifting higher off the ground as she looked down at him expectantly.

Cooro passed a bewildered glance back at his other two companions, as if hoping they'd simply offer to share one of theirs with him, but Husky just shrugged, already having decided not to get involved.

The boy looked back up at Nana with a hint of irritation appearing in his own eyes, getting to his feet. He hesitated a moment longer, touching the pendant on his neck to make sure that it was there.

Flipping a switch inside of himself, the crow +anima all at once felt a warm rush rip through him – something that had long ago felt very familiar. Huge, black wings suddenly extended from his shoulder blades, complimented by the dark feathers that spread down his arms.

His pendant now glowing a beautiful, deep purple, Cooro gave a jump of his own, struggling to sustain himself in the air through a series of messy, uncoordinated flaps. Loose feathers scattered everywhere as he struggled, the boy ultimately only stumbling ungracefully back down to the ground with a thud.

Feeling slightly embarrassed under the gazes of his three companions, he tried again, beating his wings slower and with more focus. Eventually, he managed to get the flapping into rhythm, his feet leaving the soil as he started ascending.

_This really doesn't come naturally anymore…_

He thought to himself, struggling to keep his motions balanced. A subconscious smile appeared at the edges of his lips, though, the boy enjoying the sensation of the wind beneath his powerful wings as he moved through the air in spite of himself. He looked back up at Nana, taking his eyes off of the slowly distancing ground. The girl was grinning triumphantly, only ascending up higher.

_At least…not to my human self._

Cooro added bitterly as he managed to pick up speed, recalling that the last time he'd actually used his wings to fly had been that awful morning in Astar. No… He pushed the images of that day away. He didn't want to think about that right now.

Before he knew it, he'd suddenly cleared the tops of the trees as he followed Nana, his breath all at once catching in his throat as he looked down.

The ocean bordering the forest stretched on endlessly, painting the horizon blue as the cold winter sun reflected of its glassy surface. The trees that had towered above his head were below him now, their tips and branches dancing and swaying in the same light breeze that made the waves lap restlessly against the pale, sandy shore far below.

He'd forgotten how beautiful and alive the world looked from up here.

This was the highest he'd been in the sky for a _long_ time, he realized, his heart starting to pound as a part of him he'd thought he'd lost long ago suddenly started to return.

He swallowed hard, his eyes widening in wonder as he hovered, still staring down in amazement at the world below.

"Hey, Cooro!"

The boy spun his gaze to his left, the familiar female voice snapping him back to reality.

Nana hovered to the side, a playful smile on her face. "Come on, try this!" She invited, all at once dipping down to the level of the tree tops in a single swoop. She gracefully turned and flipped herself completely around a thick branch extending from one of the trunks, tucking in her wings and landing on it as she finished her circle.

Cooro just blinked, staring at her for a moment before the edges of his lips upturned just slightly again.

Following her movements, he dove down and flipped his body around the branch in midair, tucking in his wings as he maneuvered under it and beating them again to bring himself back up, before landing next to her with a slightly more awkward thud, successfully repeating the trick.

The girl giggled slightly, her own grin widening. "Not too bad!" She admitted, a teasing note still in her voice. She set the blankets down on the branch, tiring of carrying them. The boy didn't seem to notice, though, or at least, not care, his eyes watching her expectantly as he managed to return the smile. She just stared at him a moment longer, the ache in her chest fading just slightly.

Nana abruptly dove from the branch again without warning, managing to find a few even branches in a row. She weaved between them, landing again on the fourth after flipping around it.

Cooro did the same as he continued the game, careful to keep his large wings from catching. This time he barely had time to land beside her, the girl quickly taking off again and dropping down with another giggle just as he set his feet down. She flipped around three more different branches in her descent, landing on a final fourth as she gazed back up at the crow +anima.

After a last moment of hesitation, the boy launched himself into the same controlled fall, twisted under and then back over the first two branches before letting himself drop again.

It was as he was under the third branch that he felt something suddenly smack against his right wing, jarring his flight. He realized too late that it was the trunk of the tree – he'd unfurled his wings again too early, not giving himself enough space to change direction in midair.

With a startled cry, he started freefalling, unable to twists around to catch himself as he hit the surrounding branches. In a matter of moments, he smacked loudly against the ground below.

"Cooro!" Nana gasped, immediately descending after him. "Cooro! Are you all right?" She called frantically as she landed next to him, her feet hitting the grass and layer of light snow covering the soil. "You weren't supposed to fall…" She bent close next to his face-down form worriedly, suddenly feeling guilty for pushing him into her game. She'd been trying to cheer him up, but she'd almost forgotten that he hadn't had the same years of practice in the sky that she had…

Relief flooded through her as her old friend let out a groan, the boy pushing his face out of the white powder with his palms a moment later. "It's okay – I'm a little bruised, but I'm fine!" He assured, his lips still upturned in spite of the fall. "Luckily I was already fairly close to the ground when I fell…" He commented more dryly as Nana reached down a hand, helping him to his feet.

In truth, both of his bruised legs ached in protest, and his ankle gave a renewed, but bearable sting as he stood. He still felt better than he had back by the fire, though. The blood moved more quickly through his veins and the beating of his heart was livelier. His senses were awake now, too, making him more aware of the crisp forest air as it flowed deeply into his lungs. It felt…good.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She fretted, still feeling guilty as she looked him over.

He nodded surely, letting his dark eyes met her nervous green ones. He smiled, warmly keeping her gaze. "Thank you…for making me come."

Nana grinned in spite of herself – his eyes looked so much brighter than they had when he'd been huddled up with that book. He looked like himself again.

The young woman suddenly felt her own eyes start watering once more as a wave of relief swept through her, but she just let the drops come this time.

Without warning, she launched herself towards the boy, wrapping him tightly in her arms as she pulled his form close to hers. He blinked in surprise, feeling her hot tears on his neck and shoulder as the girl held his face against her own. "I just don't want to lose you…" She chocked out. "Not to Catherine… Not to anyone… I don't want to lose you to this 'Tilah' person, either…I was scared that I was…"

_I never want to lose you, Tilah. You'll be with me forever, won't you?_

Cooro winced as the image passed through his mind, Elizabeth's desperate face once again looking up at him in his memory.

You won't. That's what he wanted to say. But…he'd made promises just like before, hadn't he? Just like the one he'd already made to Nana, and the one that he wanted to make now. He'd spoken those same words with different tongues, but in the end, they'd all been meaningless…

He could suddenly feel his body start to tremble, his own eyes abruptly starting to water as he returned Nana's tight grip. "I don't want to lose you either! I don't want to lose you…" He pleaded desperately, tears streaming down his cheeks. "But… This isn't the first time I've tried to save myself… I've tried six times before, and it all meant nothing in the end! Nothing I've ever done before – none of the other lives I've lived – ended up meaning anything! The only thing I've ever caused others is pain… I'm scared that you'll only end up getting hurt, too… What makes this life any different? What makes 'Cooro' any less meaningless? It's just another label placed on a masked demon. I'm…nobody…"

Nana didn't answer at first, just letting him sob as he buried his face into her shoulder. "That's not true! You're life isn't meaningless – even if it didn't to anyone else, it has meaning to me! Even if I…even if I end up getting hurt in the end, I won't be sorry that I met you… And don't be ridiculous, you _are_ somebody! You _are_ Cooro! I know that much for sure!"

The boy chocked on his own tongue, not knowing what to say as a hot, delicate warmth soothed his chest. He moved his face, letting his amazed, but almost disbelieving eyes speak for him as they found hers. "But…you've seen what I can become! You've heard about what I've done before 'Cooro' was even born! After everything, how can you still say that?"

She paused before answering again, taking a small step back. "Because…" She started. "That's who you are to me. That's enough, isn't it?"

This time Cooro said nothing at all, teardrops still falling from his wide, thankful eyes as a smile slowly took over his lips. Maybe that was enough.

Nana just ginned again herself. Carefully, she reached over and plucked a few dead leaves that had clung to him during the fall off of his clothes. "Come on…" She finally started gently as she removed a last one from his hair. She let her hand linger by his face for a moment longer, her own gaze brightening as his slowly did again. "Let's go back up and see if we can find the fortress like we were supposed to, and then go back to the others. I'm sure they're wondering what became of us by now."

Cooro just nodded warmly, the smile still on his face as he wiped his cheeks.

Another moment passed, before the two turned back in the direction they'd come from, ready to resume their search.

Nana effortlessly lifted off the ground, hovering just above it as she waited for Cooro to manage to get his feet off the soil. Just as he started beating his wings, though, the bat +anima's sensitive ears twitched. The girl quickly spun her head, looking farther into the forest behind them.

The crow +anima immediately tensed, pausing in his efforts as his gaze moved to follow hers. To him, everything seemed quiet, but she was clearly listening to something from over there. "…What is it? Is something there…?" He asked, his voice somewhat unnerved.

Nana nodded, turning to look back over at him with her ears still twitching. "I thought I heard another, approaching pair of wings beating for a moment, but…now I only hear someone…crying…" She explained, a note of bewilderment entering her voice at the last word.

"Crying…?" Cooro repeated, his eyes widening in surprise. What would someone be doing out in a forest like this? Was someone hurt?

The young woman nodded again, before all at once taking off urgently in the direction the sound was apparently coming from.

"Hey, Nana, wait!" The boy called. Not having time to struggle getting airborne, he ran after her on foot, fighting to keep pace.

He didn't have to move long before he could hear it, too. A small, despairing voice coming from up ahead.

The source of the cries became visible as they circled around a last, large tree, both of them instantly stopping in their tracks. The gazes of the two +anima stretched wide.

A young girl was looking back at them from where she sat hunched on the ground just ahead, her eyes betraying her startle at their sudden appearance as she momentarily fell silent. She had reddish-brown hair kept in two braids on the sides, green eyes, and looked to be no older than nine.

There were two things that stood out about her, though. Bat wings extended from her shoulders, along with a matching set of ears sticking up through her hair. And crimson. Crimson liquid painted the front of her dress, dripping down and tainting the grass beneath her.

Cooro could feel his breath catch in his throat as he heard Nana gasp, momentarily freezing in place. Though the reddish color of her wings and her slightly more rounded ears suggested that her features had come from a different species than his companion's had, the young girl was another bat +anima, meaning that she'd most likely come from the fortress. And she was injured.

"…+An…+anima! More +anima!" The girl suddenly breathed, her eyes briefly falling on Cooro's black, feathered wings before staring at Nana's similar ones in surprise. "P…please…! Please! Help! Please help!" She wailed unexpectedly, her voice rising as she struggled to get to her feet. Her body swayed unsteadily, even as she all at once broke into a run towards the other two winged +anima.

Nana took a few quick steps forward to meet the girl, holding out her arms to balance her as she practically charged her. The smaller bat +anima wrapped her sticky, sweaty fingers around the hem of her skirt as she reached her, turning her face up to hers with desperate, frightened eyes. "Help! Please! My friends! Save them! Please…save them… Please! Please help…" She pleaded repeatedly in a cracked, terrified voice, her cheeks newly dampening.

The young woman put a hand on the girl's head, kneeling down to her eye level as the dark-haired boy hurried up to them. "Calm down…" She urged gently, giving a gentle stroke to the girl's hair – if they couldn't get her to explain to them what was going on, there was no way they could help at all. "What's your name? Tell us what happened."

"M…my name's Telly…" The girl, apparently named Telly, sputtered. She kept her eyes up at Nana's, clearly straining to keep control of the tears threatening from behind her eyes. "We're under attack! The fortress is under attack! People came… men with chains and sharp, horrible knives! First on boats, and then they came inside! The +anima… They… They're killing them! They're taking some away in chains, saying they'll make them into slaves like in Sailand, and killing the others! They're hurting everyone! Please…do something… Do something! Make them stop! If…if you don't…all my friends will be…" She stopped talking, breaking back down into sobs as she buried her face in the older bat +anima's dress.

Cooro and Nana passed each other a wide eyed, horrified glance, what they were hearing hardly registering.

The fortress…had fallen under another assault? It'd actually been invaded? People…were dying? Even as they stood there, people were being killed?

"Please…" Telly pleaded again, her eyes wild with desperation. "Please!" She begged in a rugged sob. "Only some of us with wings managed to escape – they have all the other entrances blocked off! I had to leave my friends behind… They were trying to hide down one of the corridors, but I'm sure the people will find them! I have no family – they're all I have! I promised them I'd find help! Please, you have to save them! You _have to_!"

The two older +anima stared at each other with trembling gazes as the girl's painful cries tore against them. But…what could they, the two of them alone against the whole army, possibly do? Running in by themselves would be nothing more than suicide, wouldn't it?

Neither of them said anything, at a complete loss for words.

The ears of the two bat +anima suddenly twitched again, almost startling Cooro as their bodies instantly tensed. They frantically gazed around, looking again for something only they could hear as the lone crow +anima uneasily tried to let his eyes follow theirs.

"It…sounds like someone's coming." Nana whispered nervously to him, catching his confused, alarmed eyes.

All at once, she flinched as her ears gave another dramatic twitch, Telly suddenly yelping and clinging tighter to her dress. Cooro instinctively took a few steps back from the direction they were looking, jumping himself as he was suddenly able to hear the clicking of what sounded like a bow nearby.

Without thinking, he instantly outstretched his palm in the direction of the brush in front of them, feeling something rip through his veins.

A loud, male voice screamed as the sharp blade of wind pierced through the air, slamming into his legs.

The guard fell back with a quick splash of crimson, gripping his right knee. He stared in stunned, scared confusion at the group for a moment, before his eyes settled on Cooro. Alarm all at once pierced them, the man starting to tremble as something clicked in his mind. He wasted no more time, frantically forcing himself back to his feet with a suppressed scream and darting away as fast as his painful limp would carry him.

Telly stared with her breath still coming heavily, watching the wounded guard retreat in equal shock and bewilderment. "Huh…? W…what just…?" She suddenly averted her gaze from Nana to Cooro, blinking up at him. "Did…you do that, mister?"

The dark-haired young man flinched, almost surprised himself. He'd reacted purely on instinct, not having even been thinking about his abilities.

"Umm…" He sputtered. "I…"

That was all the girl needed to take his reaction as a yes. Her gaze stretched even bigger. "What…are you?" She breathed, staring at him in a mixture of wonder and wariness, as if she was looking at some dangerous, bizarre creature.

"Err…" Cooro fell completely silent, stiffening under her wide gaze. What could he say when he didn't even know the answer to the question himself?

"It doesn't matter!" Apparently, though, the girl hadn't necessarily been waiting for a response. "You can help us! You can help save my friends!" She beamed, her expression shifting as she abruptly let go of the other bat +anima and snatched the crow's hand.

_That's right… I can use my abilities freely now, as long as I'm wearing my pendant. Maybe…I _can_ do something after all!_

The thought of using his power to protect people was something new. He'd used it once to protect both himself and Nana from the cougars that'd been lurking in the underground mind they'd gotten stuck in nearby, but even then he'd been struggling to fight against succumbing to the demon in his mind.

This was something completely different. He felt the pendant pulse hotly against where it rested on his chest.

His human self had complete control over his inhuman power. Could he…use it now to help instead of kill?

"Come on!" Telly pressed, making the boy stumble over his own feet as she yanked him forward a few steps. "The fortress isn't far! I'll show you where my friends are! We have to hurry!"

Cooro hesitated a moment longer, before suddenly turning back to Nana. "I'm going with her!" He announced determinedly. "Go back and tell Husky and Senri what's going on."

"What?" Nana shook her head incredulously. "No way! If you're going, then I am, too! I can help you…" She may not have had the strange abilities that he did, but she did have her sonic screech and heightened senses, as well as the two blades at her belt.

"I know." The crow +anima nodded. "But if no one tells them anything, they'll be vulnerable just sitting out there….and especially if they wander closer in search of us." That was true…but a part of him just wanted a reason to keep her from coming. None of his companions were the demon he was – they didn't have power he did. It would be dangerous for her to come, and he couldn't bear it if anything happened to her…

The young woman bit her lip. "But…I'm not letting you go alone!" She insisted fervently. "Not against all those guards! That's crazy! What if…what if they…?"

Cooro forced a confident smile. "I'll be fine, Nana. After all…it's not that easy to kill a monster."

He looked down slightly as he finished with a tint of self bitterness in his voice, the girl falling silent as her own eyes fell downcast. "But you're just a human. I don't care what you can do – you're just another fragile human… Please…be careful…" She insisted, her voice pleading as a slight, worried dampness already started to appear in her eyes.

The boy blinked at her in surprise, his words caught in his throat before Telly gave him another frantic pull. "I will. I'll be fine." He repeated with a voice that sounded as confident as he could muster. "I just…I have to try to help…"

Nana held his brown-eyed gaze a moment longer, before hesitantly nodding.

"Come on, let's go! Now! We have no time for this – we need to hurry!" Telly complained loudly, giving a yank so hard that she almost knocked him down.

"R…right…" Cooro sputtered, turning back to Nana one last time as he started following the smaller girl. "You be careful, too! I'll see you later!" He assured, before frantically beating his wings in an attempt to take to the air once more. They did need to hurry.

Nana stayed there for a moment, anxiously watching him leave as the younger bat +anima stole him away. She giggled slightly in spite of herself as he ended up stumbling back to the ground in a mess of black feathers following his first, rushed try at a take off again, earning a frustrated, confused glare from Telly. He made it the second time, lifting into the air as he followed the small shape of the girl. Her smile abruptly disappeared.

The young woman hesitated even after she could barely make out his silhouette anymore, wondering why she felt so sad.

_What if…this is the last time I ever see him…?_

No! She quickly scolded herself. She couldn't think like that! He really would be fine, wouldn't he? She'd been worried about him before, and he'd always come out okay in the end.

This time, though, she had a bad feeling about letting him go alone.

All at once, she quickly turned away and bolted off, up into the sky. Beating her wings as fast as they could go, she hurried towards the place where her other two companions should still be waiting, a new sense of urgency making her heart pump faster.

* * *

"C'mon!" Telly complained again, still pulling on Cooro's arm. "You're not that good at flying, are you?" She observed in frustration, trying to drag him more quickly through the air as her own wings pulsed rapidly.

Cooro frowned, but didn't say anything, panting for breath. He understood the urgency, and was giving it everything he had as he struggled to keep pace with the girl that was pulling him along.

"There it is!" Telly suddenly announced, her voice startling the crow +anima in midair as he moved his eyes to follow her gaze.

The once abandoned war fortress spread in front of his view, finally visible as they cleared a corner around a seaside cliff.

He blinked in surprise. It was indeed quite close to where he and his companions had set up the fire earlier that evening, closer than he'd thought, in fact – the cliff had been merely obscuring its visibility.

It didn't look the same as it had, though, when he and Nana had first set out on that supposedly short, simple trip to gather supplies those few weeks ago.

Three armed ships came into view along with it, bordering the stone building from the sea. On them were cannons, just like the ones that had taken the lives of nearly everyone else who had set out on that same trip with them. Cooro cringed, hearing the merciless banging and the desperate voices once again in his mind as he looked at them.

And there were signs to show that these cannons had already seen a lot of use – many walls of the fortress on the side that bordered the sea had caved in, leaving messy, desolate piles of rubble.

The boy jerked in midflight, momentarily dipping in the sky as one of the cannons suddenly went off without warning, a ferocious crack splitting the air as another wall along the fortress crumbled.

He flapped his wings frantically, a few moments passing before he managed to resume regular flight. He forced down a deep breath as he did, his heart thudding as he continued scanning the area.

Many people were on those ships too, more so than there had been on the ship that had attacked before. And it looked like the fortress had its own cannons prepared for use. It appeared that the fight had been going on for a while.

Looking away from the side of the fortress on the sea, though, he could see that there was also movement down below, just in front of the main entrance. Astarian guards, he realized – they had to be. They had set up watch by the opening, keeping anyone from going in or out.

Cooro suddenly started descending towards them, Telly looking down as she felt the pull on her arm. "What are you doing?" She accused. "I'll show you the roof opening where me and several other winged +anima got out."

"But the entrance needs to be cleared, so that everyone else can get out, too." The young man decided. "Otherwise, how will all of your friends get out?"

Letting go of her hand, he all once purposely dipped down further before she could say anything else, outstretching his palm before he even landed.

The guards noticed him too late, the sharp wind blade smacking into them before they could react.

He'd aimed it low, the attack hitting their legs instead of their chests. It sent them to the sandy ground in a series of thuds, though, littering the air with dust.

"What in the…?"

"What was that?"

"Quick, get your weapons!"

Cooro ignored them, dropping out of the sky and into the center of the squadron as they struggled to recover.

He outstretched his hand in front of him, letting a small, blue flame spring to life in it as he glared over the soldiers.

The eyes of the guards stretched wide in disbelief and fright as the black-winged boy let the fire increase and flare wildly in his fingers.

"W…what is…?"

"Fire? How can…?"

"…Magic?"

The soldiers murmured nervously amongst themselves, already taking a few steps back.

Cooro glared over them with the coldest stare he could put on his face. "If you don't run now, and leave this fortress, I'll reduce you to nothing but ashes." He threatened, trying to hide the fear in his own voice as he struggled to imitate something like his demon self.

He wasn't going to kill anyone, though, not this time – he wasn't going to rob anyone else of their life. He'd promised himself that when he'd agreed to help. He wasn't going to let the monster inside him take over.

…They didn't need to know that, though.

The guards hesitated a moment longer, quickly glancing at each other and then warily back at him in disbelief.

A bold arrow suddenly split the air, the boy hearing the creak of the bow just in time to spin around and snap it with a wind blade from his free hand before it reached him. The guards reeled back even further.

Cooro frowned as they still lingered, holding his arm out as he let the flame blaze even higher, the tips of it licking the air above his head as the heat washed over both him and his enemies.

This time they were off with nothing more than a few started stutters, leaving the entrance unguarded.

The black-winged +anima sighed in relief, finally letting the flame in his palm diminish as he slowly pulled his fingers back into a tense fist.

Still hovering a good distance away in the air, Telly looked down at him with eyes that were equally as wide as the soldiers'. She was trembling, he noticed, even though she was trying not to look afraid.

Cooro just let a smile reappear on his face as he returned her gaze. "Okay, now show me where your friend's are hiding, Telly."

The girl nodded, suddenly snapping back to her rush as he spoke. "R…right. Come, this way!" She prompted, leading him inside. The boy took to the air himself again, managing to take off on his first attempt this time as he followed.

His eyes widened in horror as soon as they moved inside, a shiver running up his spine. Several unmoving bodies were spread out along the stone ground, lying in sticky pools of crimson. The still forms of a man with the ears, tail, fangs, and claws of cougar, another with those like a wolf, and a woman with those of a lynx lay alongside two other men lacking in animal features. None of them were breathing. A fight between the Astarian forces upon entry and the +anima who were supposed to guard the entrance had probably broken out here…and the small group of +anima had been able to do nothing to stop them… Cooro felt his own body start to shake, going cold as he stared down at them, unable to take his eyes away as unwanted memories assaulted his mind.

"Hurry!" Telly prompted again, snapping him back to reality. Right. He wanted to prevent as many people as he could from becoming like those on the floor here, he had no time to waste with shock.

The small bat +anima led him down the residential hallway, the horror in his eyes only continuing to swell as they passed the rooms.

For as far as he could see, the door to every single room was open. Things were knocked over inside, and crimson spilled out into the hallway. Every so often he would the shape of another lost +anima or defeated soldier tucked behind the entrances to the room or dragged out into the passage. He tried to stop looking, feeling a lump in his throat when he saw their lifeless, agonized faces that made his wings threaten to freeze and stop beating.

Telly finally came to a halt as she reached the second, thin hallway branching off from the main residential path. "They ran down here…" She started, shaking anxiously. "It's a hard to navigate passage, but we know it well because we always go down there and play… They thought that it might be a good place to hide…"

Cooro bit his lip. Further ahead along the main hallway, he could hear screaming now, as well as the continuous thunder of cannons. They had yet to come across anymore live guards, though – it seemed like this area had already been almost completely cleared out. He prayed that they weren't too late to save Telly's friends – hopefully they had indeed found somewhere to go unnoticed.

Urgently, he followed her down the new, desolate passage, following the girl's gaze as she searched desperately for any sign of her companions.

"A lemur +anima, hmm?"

Both Cooro and Telly momentarily tensed as a cold, male voice all at once reached their ears.

"Unusual. And it should have high agility." It continued, a small hint of amusement in its tone. "I suppose this one could be useful as a slave to the right person."

"Agreed." Another male voice decided. "Chain him up."

Telly's mouth fell agape as she registered what she was hearing. "Salu!" She screamed, suddenly rushing forward with all the speed she could summon as she heard her companion shout in protest.

Cooro frantically fought to keep up, his muscles aching in protest as he forced them to make the large, black shapes connected to his shoulders move as fast as they could go.

"And now, what about this one…" The first voice started again, an angry snarl from someone else following. "Looks like a fox."

"Hmm…" A similar, but new third voice piped up. "Well…a fox should have slightly increased combat capabilities and somewhat enhanced senses…but it doesn't particularly specialize in any area. It's rather average…"

"But this is quite a cute one!" The second voice commented mockingly.

"True." The first man agreed. "But, we've already taken some real beauties already. This one seems mediocre all the way around, to me."

"Fine. We don't even have room to take them all back to Astar if we wanted to. Let's just dispose of this one." The second guard decided.

A female voice screamed, followed by the sound of growling and thrashing claws scrapping against the stone floor.

"Amira! No, Amira!" Telly shrieked in horror, along with two other voices that sounded like they belonged to children.

Cooro's heart jumped in his chest, some of his once natural flying instinct coming back along with the rush of adrenaline that hit his veins. His wings propelled his body down the hallway desperately, his palm already outstretched in anticipation as he strained to see any sign of the guards.

All at once they came into view – three men in Astarian armor surrounding three children, with one of the guards holding a knife over the chest of a trembling, wide-gazed girl with messy blond hair and the features of a red fox.

Barely having time to aim the attack, he sent another wind blade straight for them, knocking the three guards away as crimson spilled over their legs.

The soldier with the blade was hurt worse than the others by the awkward attack, placing a hand on his left side as it leaked red. The girl quickly scurried away, going to stand by her other two friends as she wrapped herself up in her fox-like tail and stared up at the black-winged boy in shock.

"Amira! Salu! Kayah!" Telly cried in relief, flapping passed him to embrace her companions. "See? I told you I'd bring help!"

Cooro landed and took a few steps forward, preparing to summon the fire back to his palm again. It turned out, though, that he didn't need to.

A look of absolute terror was in the eyes of the man clutching his side, his whole body shaking as his gaze fell on the black wings of the boy ahead of him.

"It…it's…!" He sputtered, fighting to even find his voice. "It's the murderer!" His voice raised, the guard frantically shuffling backwards. "The murderer from Astar! The black-winged demon who slaughtered almost everyone at the guard station!"

Cooro flinched as pain struck his chest, but he tried to not to show it on his face, staring at the three men coldly as he simply gave his powerful wings an intimidating flap.

The soldiers were all up on their feet instantly, turning and running back down the hallway. "We have to tell the captain about this!" One sputtered, his voice mixing with his frantic footsteps.

Cooro swallowed hard as they disappeared, trying not to think about what he'd done that morning in Astar as he turned back to Telly and the other children.

The young bat +anima was standing by the fox girl, along with another, darker-haired girl having the features of lizard who was helping the lemur +anima boy out of the chains that'd been put on him.

They all paused and returned his gaze as he moved his over to them. The three children he hadn't met still looked a bit nervous, but Telly's eyes were beaming, her blue irises filled with gratitude.

"Thank you so much, mister! …Thank you so much!" She cried, the crow +anima able to see now that relieved tears were dampening her cheeks.

"Err… Y…yeah…thank you, for saving me…" The fox girl started. Her voice and eyes betrayed her unease, but there was also a thankful, shaken relief written on her face.

The other two young +anima nodded, looking up at him in a combination of both gratitude and wariness. The nervousness had completely vanished from Telly, though, despite what she'd probably overheard from the guards. "What's your name, anyway?" She asked, slowly starting to calm down now that the immediate danger was over.

"It's Cooro." The black-winged boy answered, his lips upturned.

"Thank you, Cooro!" She repeated, returning the grin widely as she wiped a hand across her cheek.

The young man just kept the smile on his face, his own eyes bright.

They reminded him a lot of him and his friends when they were younger, he thought as he looked down at the group of the four small +anima.

He felt a rare moment of pride, a warmth welling in his chest at the thought that he'd saved them. He'd used his power to keep the young group from being broken – he'd consciously used his abilities to protect their futures, instead of taking them away. It was a new feeling.

There wasn't time to enjoy it any longer, though, he realized. He needed to see if there was anything else he could do to help with the fighting up ahead. Maybe he could save more people – if nothing else, he had to try.

"Telly…" He bent down, closer to her height. "The entrance is open now and the main hallway seems clear, lead your friends back the way we came and then get as far away from the fortress as you can for now, okay?"

The bat +anima nodded. "But…aren't you coming with us?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm going to see if I can help anyone else. You'd better hurry and get out of here, though. Be careful, alright?"

Telly frowned slightly. "Okay…" She agreed reluctantly, already taking a few steps forward as she gestured for her companions to follow. "Just…don't get hurt. It would make me and the other girl with bat wings sad."

Cooro blinked in surprise, before smiling again. He just nodded, moving too as the girl took to the air and dashed down the hallway with her friends following on foot. He stayed close behind them until they once again reached the residential hall.

Their paths branched off there, Telly and her shaken friends waving a goodbye as they hurried towards the exit. He returned it, before turning and heading the other direction, directly towards the screams and shouts of the conflict.

* * *

Catherine flitted with ease through the wooded area along the coast, maneuvering her large, but graceful wings and nimble body up and down through the braches.

The black-winged woman could sense that her target was somewhere close by, being careful to follow the familiar trace of his presence as she moved forward. He was still a ways ahead of her, though. It seemed like the faint sensation was coming directly from the cliff along coastline ahead of her.

She blinked, trying to pick up her pace.

_The fortress? It has to be._

So the boy had made it back there after all, huh? To that cold, stone place, where she too had spent several weeks.

Every so often, though, in the distance, she caught silhouettes of what looked like other winged +anima in the skies. Their wings beat frantically as they tore through the sky, flying erratically in a way that could only represent fear. Was something going on at the fortress?

"Husky, Senri, come on! Cooro is all by himself in there! I told you, we have to hurry and help him!"

Catherine paused in midair at the lightly familiar female voice, silently moving over to and setting herself down on a branch at the sound of rapidly approaching wing beats. Hoping that she couldn't be noticed from her perch among the trees, she looked down, watching an airborne figure propel itself forward in almost the same direction she'd been heading.

Her eyes instantly narrowed at the sight of desperately flapping bat wings and light-brown hair being kicked up by the wind. It was _that_ girl.

"I know, Nana!" Another, this time male, voice piped up. Catherine's eyes followed it, the woman noticing two other familiar figures hurrying on foot a ways behind the girl. "We're coming as fast as we can! Don't forget that me and Senri can't fly like you can!"

It was all of those +anima her target called his companions. The bat, the fish, and the bear. They weren't with him, this time? Apparently they were trying to change that, though.

The girl didn't say anything in response, but she didn't slow down either, dashing passed the forest as quickly as her bat wings could possibly take her. Even from her perch, Catherine could hear her tense breathing and see the fear in her wide, green eyes as she passed underneath without ever noticing her.

"Great!" The silver-haired fish +anima spat, giving a few ragged breaths as he struggled to keep racing forward. "She's getting way ahead of us, she'll probably reach it before we do! I hope she doesn't rush in after him and get herself killed!"

He just kept running with his bear companion, the two forcing themselves to head towards the fortress as quickly as their legs would allow.

A small, cold smile suddenly possessed the black-winged woman's lips. Perfect.

Catherine suddenly leapt from her perch, quietly soaring passed the two wingless +anima as she headed after the bat. With her own powerful, controlled wings, she passed her from a distance, overtaking even her in the rush to the stone fortress.

* * *

Cooro hurried through the hallways. He was further in now, right in the middle of the building. It was darker here – many of the torches that lit the building had been knocked over along with almost everything else. It was the pulsing, vibrant light coming from the pendant around his neck that let him continue to catch glimpses of motionless bodies and crimson tainting the hall. The voices hitting his ears had grown louder, too – he had almost caught up with conflict.

"Keep your hands off me, filthy humans!" A man shouted only feet ahead of the crow +anima, making him come to a sudden stop.

Cooro hesitated in front of the door to one of the rooms, noticing more voices and sounds of struggling coming from inside. Wasting no more time, he forced himself to swing it open.

There were four older men inside, two +anima and two guards. They were in a stalemate, the stronger of the two men with animal features struggling to hold back the blades of the soldiers with his own.

Aiming carefully, the dark-haired boy sent out another wind blade, lightly smacking the two guards. They feel to the ground, falling unconscious as their heads hit the stone wall on the way down.

The two stunned +anima turned and gazed over in the boy's direction in a mixture of gratefulness and incomprehension, but he was practically already gone.

Cooro didn't linger there this time, hurrying further down the passage as another voice suddenly screamed from one of the rooms.

This time he found a young girl a few years older than Telly and her companions as he burst in. There was a single guard, who was quickly thrown against the wall by a sharp blast of wind. There was a gash along his ribs, the man gazing at the black-winged boy in disbelief before dashing passed him and retreating, abandoning the girl.

Cooro was gone again quickly, repeating the same procedure to save a dog-like young man near his own age, and then a slightly older woman with rabbit features as he continued up the hall.

This time he lingered in the last room as the woman hurried to the exit, slumping himself over one of the wooden chairs with his knees on the ground and chest against the seat. His arms hung limply off as his huge, heavy wings drooped awkwardly behind him in a pathetic attempt to rest.

He didn't have time for this! He couldn't stop! The guards wouldn't wait for him! But…

Cooro gagged and coughed, spitting up slightly on the floor as he struggled to steady his breath. His whole shape jerked raggedly with the movement, sending fresh rushes of pain down his limbs.

Every fiber in his body ached, his muscles stinging and throbbing. The ones that controlled his wings stung so much that he wasn't sure that he could move them anymore, now that he'd stopped.

He tried, gritting his teeth as he forced them to beat up and down. His entire form shook as he fought to control the movement, making the boy give another chocking, exhausted cough.

All of his strength was suddenly gone. He'd already felt worn out after simply flying with Nana. He hadn't really been ready for this, he realized now. He wasn't strong enough to fly for so long, and every time he used his abilities it seeped any energy he had from his body.

His vision blurred slightly, warning the boy that he was on the verge of falling unconscious if he didn't resist.

Why had he ever let himself become so frail? …And that bit of dinner he'd been offered back around the campfire wouldn't have hurt, now, either. He cursed himself inwardly, frustrated at his failing flesh and oftentimes feeble mind.

He couldn't stop here, though. Even if it hurt, he couldn't stop. He had to keep going. He had to.

Cooro slowly pushed himself off the seat of the chair with his shaking arms, about to force himself to his feet when his eyes all at once opened wide.

The unpleasantly familiar haze in his mind suddenly flared up uncomfortably, threatening to overtake him in the instant before the pendant around his neck pulsed brighter. Its warmth increased, helping to fight away the coldness that tried to attack his spirit.

…Catherine?

The young man's already pounding heart lurched forward even further. What if she tried to attack him now, when he was already so tired from the conflict? What if her presence became so strong that not even the pendant could fight off the increasing haze in his head? What if he was forced to withdraw his +anima? Without it, without his abilities and his wings, he was nothing more than a frail, helpless boy.

_Catherine, no, please! Stay away, I can't deal with you now! I can't…_

No… He had the pendant he'd worn and fought her with as Tilah now. Even if his body was weak, his human mind was strong enough to protect itself. He would make it be. He just hoped she wouldn't stir things up in the middle of the fight.

He finally stood up, the new rush of anxious adrenaline helping his tired, aching wings beat as he moved back out into the hallway and continued further up.

* * *

Nana swooped down and landed on the sandy ground as she finally neared the entrance of the fortress. She approached it cautiously, clinging to the side of the cliff that housed it as she slowly moved her head to peek inside, bat ears perked. She didn't hear anything, but…

Her gaze all at once stretched in horror as she saw what awaited her just inside the entrance. She spun around in shook, her mouth falling agape as she turned to face the gruesome scene.

She wanted to bend down and help the three +anima lying on the ground, but she stopped herself – she knew that it was already too late. No breath, no movement at all came from their shapes, and the floor was stained red from the liquid pooled beneath them and the fallen guards. The girl instinctively stepped back, noticing that the crimson ooze had gathered around her feet as she looked down.

Her eyes started to water, her heart thumping sickeningly in her chest as she stared at the people who's lives the conflict had already claimed. And moving her gaze as far she could see into the extending hallways, it looked like things only got worse.

"Cooro!" She suddenly screamed aloud in spite of herself, fear for her old friend taking over as she all at once propelled herself into the grim passage.

Nana kept her eyes down as she flew, the girl not wanting to look at the scene around her. Instead, she kept her ears swiveling, straining for any sign of her companion's familiar voice or the clumsy, but powerful wing beats she'd come to associate with him from earlier that evening.

She wasn't really aware of whether or not Husky and Senri were still behind her, but she didn't have time to stop and wait. She had to find him! She had to know that he hadn't ended up like all those motionless shapes spread lifelessly along the hallway.

Her eyes were set straight at the middle of floor beneath her as she flew, but a single, black feather suddenly appeared in her view, kicked up by the breeze from her flapping wings. Taking in a sharp, surprised gasp, she immediately dropped down to her feet, stumbling clumsily in her rush to stop.

The feather landed lightly at the edge of her shoe, the girl able to see now that others were also spread out over the ground. With trembling hands, she picked up the dark, airy shape by her foot, scanning it over. It was still warm, and it sure looked like his…

Swallowing hard, she forced herself to swing her gaze over to the side, scared of what she might see.

There was nothing but an open doorway to one of the rooms. She felt slightly relieved to see nothing else of him on the ground, but, as she continued to stare at the room, she caught sight of more black feathers spread out across the floor inside.

"Cooro!" She suddenly screamed out without thinking, flinching as her voice echoed noisily down the hall. It probably wasn't wise to be so loud in the currently situation, but she prayed to hear a response, her muscles tensed and her ears perked forward as she waited.

It never came. Not from the feathery room, and not from the passage up ahead. The girl's heart jumped into her chest with a sickening lurch.

Maybe he'd simply gone into the room for a conflict and lost a few feathers. Maybe he was now already too far ahead to hear her. After all, the fortress was huge, and he would've been in here alone for at least an hour.

But…

Nana bit her bottom lip anxiously, taking a few tense steps inside the room. "…Cooro…?" She whispered more quietly, glancing around just to assure herself that he wasn't there.

The loose feathers seemed to lead into one of the closet-like spaces that held the beds, the girl nervously approaching it and hesitantly moving inside.

Something heavy all at once smacked into her from behind before she even had a chance to look, knocking the wind out of her lungs as she let out a started scream. She fell forward, but was held up by arms that suddenly wrapped around her chest, gripping her tightly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of black wings hovering over her, but she knew instantly that they weren't Cooro's.

Catherine!

Her pulse thudded in panic. Had the killer purposely set this up? Had she just fallen helplessly into a cruel trap?

She screamed again, this time more loudly as she recovered her breath and tried to force the black-winged witch's arms away from her.

The two young women were near the same age, but Catherine still managed to overpower her as she forced her arms tighter against her ribs.

With her own free hands, Nana instead reached for one of the knives hidden at her belt. Gripping it tightly, she slashed the edge of the blade down the back of her captor's wrist, making the other woman instinctively pull her right arm away in pain as crimson started leaking from the gouge.

The bat +anima used her other hand to force herself out of the hold, stumbling away. She quickly whirled to face Catherine's dark winged form with her pulse pounding, grabbing her second knife as she let out a screech.

It stunned the killer in spite of herself, giving the girl time to maneuver around to her backside and wrack both of the blades down her spine. Familiar rage tore through her, making her forget to be afraid as she ripped the knives through the killer's flesh.

This was the person who'd killed Niomi. This was the person who'd been destroying Cooro's life for years. The person who wanted to turn him in to someone else. The person who'd already taken so much from both of them, and still wanted to take him away from her.

"You witch! You demon! Don't you touch me!" She spat, an icy venom in her voice that rarely left her mouth. "Get out of here! Leave me and Cooro alone!"

Wincing as the pain rushed down her back, Catherine slammed a hard elbow into Nana's stomach, making her fall away, off balance.

The raven-winged woman turned to face her with dangerous, narrowed eyes, instantly slamming a wind blade into the bat +anima's legs that sent her to the ground with a startled yelp.

"Your words hold no meaning to me, human girl. Know your place." She stated in a voice that was as steady and calm as ever, sending another sharp rush of wind at the girl to accent her words.

Nana flinched as the attack connected, but she hardly felt the pain through her fury, still forcing herself back up onto her feet.

She let out another screech, charging the black-winged woman with her blades extended. This time, however, the raven +anima managed to stumble to the side and spin to face her again.

The witch formed a flame in her palm, the fire stretching into something like a whip as she flung her arm towards the girl.

Nana stumbled backwards, stifling a sharp shriek as it connected. It stung, burning her skin where it hit on her upper arm and chest.

"You can't save him!" Catherine insisted, smacking her again. "You can't save something that doesn't exist! Like Elizabeth before you, you've brought this upon yourself by trying! No matter how long you manage to prolong it, you are only fighting for an illusion that is destined to fade! You'll never truly mean a thing to the being inside that body! He's mine… He belongs to me and he never will to anyone else! He's mine!"

Nana opened her mouth, but it was another scream that came out as the witch's flame whip smacked against her once more, this time leaving burn marks across her face.

Catherine wasn't letting up this time, the girl's heart pounding desperately as the killer's whip struck again and again.

There were throbbing, crisscrossed singes all over her body now. Pieces of her clothes were burned away where she'd been hit, and the wounds extended all the way to her wings.

She made a frantic, feeble attempt at another screech, but the sound was stifled in her mouth as the black-winged woman gave another strike to her face.

"Shush, child." Catherine stepped forward and knelt down over her before she could recover, finally letting the flame in her palm fade as she placed it instead over the trembling girl's mouth. "I'm not simply going to kill you. That would be such a waste – I think you might actually be just the tool I need to help break that illusion you tried so hard to protect."

Nana flailed a leg, trying to kick the witch away.

Catherine didn't seem bothered as the bat +anima's foot knocked against her weakly, the woman instead bending down even closer.

Nana's eyes widened as the killer's face came mere inches from hers, the girl able to feel her breath.

The black-winged witch suddenly moved her second hand to the young woman's forehead, making her shiver in repulsion as she gently caressed her skin. There was a soft, cold light emanating from the hand that lingered on her face. "Stop struggling. Sleep now."

Nana fought to pull away from the palm on her forehead, from the face of the killer that was so near to hers, but any strength she had left suddenly started ebbing away. Her eyelids felt heavy, her consciousness starting to slip away.

She desperately tried to hold on to it, but the blackness overpowered her. The last thing she saw before slipping into sleep were Catherine's triumphant eyes staring straight down into hers as they closed.

The dark-winged woman watched with satisfaction as the girl's forehead fell away from her hand, her body collapsing limply to the cold floor.

She didn't resist anymore. Her fierce green eyes were shut, and her wings, limbs, and light-brown hair were spread motionlessly over the stone beneath her. The only sign that showed that her life hadn't been extinguished was the rhythmic, almost deceivingly peaceful pattern of her breath as her chest rose and fell.

A pretty girl. Catherine decided, though she still couldn't see what made her so important to the mask her target wore. She was just another worthless human. But, ironically, every time that mask had come close to breaking had been because of this single girl, she realized, not because of her herself. Even if she didn't completely understand, she would be a fool not to take more advantage of such a powerful tool. That was something she'd learned from that pathetic woman, Nadia.

Something caught the killer's eye as she continued staring down at the still shape of the girl – a simple, black and lilac scarf tied around her neck. It seemed like she'd been wearing it every time she'd seen her, and it was similar to the one that the boy himself seemed to have taken to always wearing.

A strange, cruel smile appeared on the raven +anima's features as a memory suddenly clicked in her mind. That's right… When she'd first found her target's current form, he'd been wearing that same scarf that he was again now around his neck. He'd told her about a friend – a girl – who'd made if for him before she left, and how he was having someone teach him how to make one because he'd promised to in return for the next time he happened to see her.

The black-winged woman knelt down further, untying the scarf and removing it from its place by the sleeping girl's throat without resistance. She looked it over. Was this the one he'd promised to make for her as a small child? It didn't matter. Either way, it would likely be something that was easily recognizable as hers.

With a satisfied, cold smile on her face, Catherine tied the scarf around her own neck, letting it come to rest against her chest as she started gathering up the feathers she'd left to attract the girl.

When she was sure that she'd catch no more focus for now, she reached down again and scoped up the form of the bat +anima. A slight glow came to her hands – using her power, even the weight of a girl close to the age of her own body felt like nothing.

With Nana lying limply in her arms, Catherine spread her dark wings, moving back out into the hallway and hurrying towards the exit of the fortress. It would be best to take her tool out of there for now.

* * *

Cooro finally came to a halt as he reached the doors that he knew led out to the balcony. He'd finally reached the end of the long, residential hallway. But…he didn't see anyone else.

He'd only come across one more fighting set of guards and +anima after forcing himself to continue on, but he still heard the screaming and shouting of conflict echoing from what sounded like somewhere below him. It was louder now, but the balcony ahead of him itself seemed quiet. He glanced instead at the several doors alongside the exit to it. He'd never actually gone through any of them before, but judging from their look and placement, he guessed they led downward, into the deeper reaches of the old war fortress. That had to be where the sounds he was hearing were coming from…but, he was unsure of which to take.

The boy just stood there a moment, still panting as he tried to catch his breath. He noticed something else as he lingered. The telltale haze of Catherine's presence had faded and disappeared from his mind. She'd left the fortress. He sighed in relief, but somehow still felt uneasy, even though he wasn't quite sure why. Even she felt anxious around huge crowds of people – perhaps she'd simply been intimidated by the conflict and had decided to back off for now. Something about her brief appearance struck him as strange, though…

He shook his head. He didn't have time to think about her right now.

Realizing that he'd already wasted too much time, he forced his aching form to move to one of the doors, opening it and peering inside.

Just as he did, though, loud voices suddenly rose from somewhere behind him, making the boy jump as a different door abruptly slammed open.

"Filthy scum!"

He quickly spun around, just in time to see a guard tumble backwards through the opening with liquid red spilling from a gouge in his chest. A girl with a long tail and rounded ears who looked to be only a few years older than him followed, swinging an axe-like weapon at another soldier slashing a blade behind her.

She didn't turn quite fast enough, taking a hit to her left ribs before she managed to block the swipe. She followed it with a slash of her own, finally making the second guard fall back.

But a third man had moved around her in the struggle, holding up a knife in the direction of the back of her throat.

"Look out!" Cooro suddenly screamed, momentarily startling both the guard and the woman as he bolted forward and outstretched his palm.

He couldn't make a direct hit without risking hitting the girl, but he still managed to shot a wind blade at the man's side. The guard stumbled backwards and away from the +anima as it grazed his ribs, looking up at this new, second +anima with a mixture of alarm and confusion.

The girl scrambled out of the way, watching as the boy knocked the guard into the wall with another hit to his upper legs. This time the guard did nothing as he slumped against the stone, unconscious.

"…Who…are you? What…?" The woman stared at him wide-eyed with one arm over her wound. She didn't look any less disturbed than anyone else had, the fervent anger that had been in her eyes largely replaced by bewilderment and fear.

Cooro, though, just forced a smile. "It's okay, I'm a +anima, too. I'm here to help. My name's Cooro." He answered briefly.

The girl narrowed her eyes – it was clear that she realized he certainly wasn't any regular +anima, but she said nothing else about it, some of alarm slowly fading from her gaze as she looked him over.

His own gaze stretched wider as he suddenly caught sight of the badge on her shirt – the symbol that marked an officer of the fortress! She was the first she'd seen. "Oh!" He blurted aloud. "You're a fortress official!"

This time the woman smiled. "Indeed." She announced proudly, seeming both pleased and slightly less tense at his reaction. "The name's Lucia. I'm an elite soldier here at the +anima fortress."

So that was why she seemed so skilled. Cooro looked the officer over again. She had a strong build, with a few old scars as well as new wounds that had likely only recently been inflicted during the fight. It took him a moment to place her +anima, but judging by the shapes of her ears and tail along with her claws, he realized that it was probably that of a fossa – a creature with weasel-like features and wolverine-like strength. And, like Senri, she also appeared to have kim-un-kur blood in her veins. She certainly looked like a weathered, capable fighter, but that didn't change the fact that most of the crimson staining her clothes appeared to be her own. What'd happened to the rest of the fortress' own soldiers?

"What exactly is going on?" Cooro asked desperately, realizing that an official like her might know. "Why did the guards attack? Why did they come here?"

The woman, Lucia, frowned angrily. "A man with a ship brought +anima who'd escaped from Astar here a couple of days ago. The soldiers arrived this morning in their own ships, saying that they would back off if we handed them back all of the refugee +anima. Naturally, we refused – the fortress exists for us to protect our own kind. But we didn't know there were forces waiting to invade the fortress from land, depending on our answer." She grimaced. "We were caught off guard… They're taking +anima they consider useful back with them to turn into slaves like those in Sailand, and they're…getting rid of all the others."

Cooro swallowed a gasp, feeling his stomach twist. The +anima from the Astar prison! Apparently they had arrived safely after he and his companions had departed the boat, but…

"Their numbers are much bigger this time…" Lucia continued grimly. "Most of the remaining +anima have gathered by the other officials in the room where the cannons are fired from, but so have most of the guards now. I'm one of the few who tried to leave to look for anymore +anima that might still be out here, but…you can see how that went…" She commented flatly, her eyes briefly moving down to the fallen soldiers. "I was ambushed before I even reached the main hallway… There's simply too many of them – I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't been here…" The official looked the young man directly in the eyes. "Look…I don't know what you are, or what you just did, but will you help us get the guards to back off? If we lose that room, we're finished."

Cooro nodded urgently. "Show me the way. I've been through the hallway, and I don't think there are anymore +anima out here."

"…Alright…follow me." The woman decided, quickly turning back towards the door she came from. She gestured for him to keep pace as she moved through the network of tunnels.

* * *

The huge, expanse of a room where the cannons were located had gone to chaos.

Cooro could feel himself tremble as he gazed out at the scene. More motionless bodies lay on the ground, under the feet of countless sparring guards and +anima as both fought for their lives.

Many more +anima were crouched at the very back of the room, behind the protection of those that desperately struggled to keep the soldiers away from them.

At the front of the battle were most of the other officials, their faces naught in determination and pain as they clashed weapons with the oncoming guards.

_Kazana!_

The boy stared at the familiar eagle +anima – probably the only one who'd chosen to remain in the fortress with wings besides him, as he knocked away one guard with an axe of his own.

More officials were struggling to sustain their grips on the cannons, trying to keep their offense going on Astar's ships.

Lucia ran in without another word, using her axe to block an attack to another official who'd been caught off guard. "Disgusting humans!" She spat, reentering the fray despite her own wounds.

Cooro watched as the movement of battle swallowed up his view of her, hovering at the edge of the entrance alone for a moment longer.

Steeling himself, he all at once knelt down and sent out a sharp, swift wind edge at a group of guards in front of him, sending them tumbling down as it hit their feet. The other +anima wasted no time in pouncing on them.

Furious footsteps all at once started approaching him from behind, the boy taking in a stunned gasp as he turned his gaze to find a man holding a blade over his back. He barely managed to move to the side, rolling away as the sword hit the ground with a loud, merciless clang. He countered quickly with another wind blade. It sent the guard to the ground, but it was only seconds before two more were over him.

He frantically managed to push himself into the air above them with his wings, before this time hitting them with a wave of fire. They fell back in shock as they struggled to avoid the flames, but a third man scraped a knife down his leg, making the crow +anima tumble back down and scramble backwards to avoid another onslaught of slashes.

"It's the monster from Astar! The escaped murderer who killed the guards at the prison!" A terrified voice rang out, from one of the soldiers who'd narrowly avoided the flames.

"Kill him! Kill him!" Another bellowed, both alarm and rage flaring up in the eyes of the other surrounding guards.

Cooro could feel his heart pound wildly in his chest as he threw himself backwards and hit a couple of guards from behind with another wind blade, only to take another small slash to one of his wings. Power did not necessarily equate to skill, he realized now, as the squadron of guards bore down on him. At least…not to his human self.

He screamed as a knife suddenly pierced the skin of his cheek and left a line of red across his face, the boy having barely managed to fall back in time to have it miss the center of his head.

All of his bravery was suddenly gone. He didn't want to be here now. He didn't want to be in this situation he didn't know if he'd ever make it out of. Nana had been right. No matter what ability he had, unless he gave in to the terrifying, killing instinct his demon self had, he was as fragile as anyone else. He didn't want to be here. He wanted to be with companions back at the campfire. He wanted to be with her.

His whole body shaking now, he managed to send out another wave of flames, buying himself a brief moment to recover as he got a few yelps out of the soldiers. Fighting the urge to panic and cry, he followed up with another wind blade to the group in front of him, but he barely turned around in time to see that a whole new squadron had approached him from the side, weapons drawn.

He only had time to shriek as they thrust their blades down…slamming his eyes shut as he braced for the worst. But they never hit. Instead, the weapons of those in front dropped limply to the ground beside him.

Cooro opened his eyes to see Kazana standing over their fallen bodies, blood spilling from a huge slash wound that ran across each of their backs.

The black-winged boy couldn't get his tongue to work. He just stared up at the official with scared eyes, trembling.

Kazana frowned. "So it's true. You _are_ alive. I must give those two friends of yours credit – I never thought they stood a chance at saving you. But you have to get up and help me fight if you don't want their efforts to be useless!" He ordered sternly, turning back and slashing at another approaching group of guards.

Cooro gritted his teeth determinedly, trying to get his fear back under control as he forced himself up again.

He stood back to back with Kazana as a wave of guards approached from the opposite direction, driving them away with a wind blade. He sent a rush of flames at another as they kept coming.

"That's the Astar murderer and one of the highest leaders of the +anima rebels. The prices on their heads are ridiculous – take them out and you'll be rich!"

"The crow has been freeing +anima along the residential hallways. He's dangerous, but we have to get rid of him!"

"That eagle +anima is one of the officials that holds this facility together, without him, the rebels will start to fall apart."

Cooro struggled to keep his shaking form steady as the guards swarmed them. Other +anima fighters tried to keep them away, locking many into conflicts with them, but the boy kept sending out as many wind blades as he could without hitting allies, while Kazana tried to cover the front with his axe.

The number of guards that were able to fight was slowly starting to dwindle, he realized with an abrupt twinge of hope. He _was_ making a difference!

Maybe…if he and the other +anima there could keep this up, they could force a retreat!

Swallowing hard with his pulse still racing, he kept fighting, sending out more flames.

It was when Kazana suddenly let out a scream behind him that he jumped and span around, taking a hard slash to his chest as an especially large axe knocked both him and the official down.

The guard with the weapon, probably one of the captains, was about to bring it down on them once more, before he suddenly shrieked and fell to the side himself. A new figure was revealed behind him as he collapsed with a thud.

Cooro's eyes instantly shot open wider. "Husky!" He could hardly believe his eyes. What were any of his companions doing here? "What're you…?"

The familiar silver-haired boy glowered down at him, crimson dripping from the seethe-like weapon in his hands. "You idiot!" He spat. "What were you thinking, going off alone like that? Nana was right – you should be glad we came when we did! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Cooro shrunk under his stare. "But…I…"

"There's no time for this!" Kazana reminded harshly, already back on his feet.

After another glance at his old friend, the dark-haired young man quickly forced himself back up onto his legs, whirling back around and sending out another attack.

As his gaze traveled around the conflict, he caught sight of Senri slamming his claws against a couple of guards near the entrance. Both him and Husky were there. But did that mean…? Where was…?

"Don't get distracted!" Kazana instructed sharply, catching the boy's eyes traveling around.

He released another batch of flames at the official's words, knocking back a few more soldiers.

The fight continued like that for a few more minutes, until the voice of one of Astar's captain's echoed though the immense stone room. "Retreat! We've taken too many casualties! Gather up the wounded and head back to the carriages! I repeat! We're calling a retreat!"

Cooro's mouth gawked open in disbelief as the guards whispered amongst themselves and quickly withdrew with a few final curses. He fell to his knees as they started to disappear from the room, practically collapsing onto the floor in his exhaustion.

"Hurry, they're already weak! Go find the carriage they put the captured +anima inside and stop them from taking it!"

"Right!"

The black-winged young man felt like he didn't even have the strength to look up as he heard Kazana quickly give out the order. Several other officials ran passed him, rushing to the task. The guards didn't have much fight left in them for now – the +anima weren't going to have any problems.

It took a few moments before he was even aware of the countless stares focused in on him.

"What _is_ he?"

"That wasn't natural power!"

"No +anima can have abilities like that!"

"He's like…some sort of…monster!"

"Don't say that! He saved us!"

"Right! It doesn't matter what he is! His power turned the battle around!"

"They went at us full force this time! This was a critical victory!"

"A lot more of us would be dead now if it wasn't for him!"

"He saved us! He's a hero!"

Cooro finally managed to force his gaze up to meet those of the awe-struck onlookers, not sure what to do with all of the crowd's eyes trained directly on him.

_A…hero…?_

He was definitely nothing like that. He never could be. He was a murderer. No matter what he did now, it would never make for what he'd done in the past. What he'd done could never be erased. But…maybe his power didn't have to be entirely evil. He felt the foreign tinge of pride he'd felt earlier return as he met the gazes of the crowd, the feeling of warmth welling up even bigger in his chest.

The boy stayed like that for a while, boxed in by the gathered +anima. Even those that had escaped or been captured started to return, he realized with relief, as he noticed more of them enter the area curiously.

He saw Telly and her friends enter, smiling in her direction, before passing it in the direction of Lucia and the other officials. He saw Meora, too. There was a look of shock in her eyes as she stared at him. It almost stung at first, but it was natural she'd be surprised – she'd never known about his abilities before, either. Cooro passed her a wave, and a smile appeared on her face a moment later, the woman waving back as she beamed proudly at him.

The crow +anima could feel Kazana still staring at him, too. That's right. Kazana hadn't known about his power anymore than anyone else had. He hadn't really even known for sure that he was still a +anima. But he didn't say anything. Maybe he thought he owed him that. Cooro was glad.

He felt a light prod on his shoulder, looking up to see that Husky and Senri were standing beside him again as the eyes of the gathering slowly started to drift away. He took the hand his silver-haired companion offered, the fish +anima finally helping him up to his feet.

It was when he stood up that Cooro noticed that the attention of his two companion's was focused elsewhere, their gazes anxiously scanning the crowd as well, as if looking for someone.

The boy all at once realized who as the thought came back to him with a jolt. Nana!

"Cooro…have you seen Nana?" Husky asked, just as the crow +anima had been about to open his own mouth.

His heart instantly lurched. "You mean…you don't know where she is?"

The silver-haired boy shook his head anxiously, his eyes betraying his own worry. "She came back and told us what was going on and where you were, but… She ended up flying ahead of us on the way here. We'd already lost her by the time we got to the fortress… We thought that maybe she'd already found you, but…"

Cooro's tired muscles tensed, his heartbeat picking up speed again as he flung his gaze around the room, desperate to catch sight of her familiar figure. But she wasn't there. She wasn't in the crowd, and she wasn't in the groups of returning captured +anima, either…

But… All the +anima that had been fighting were already in the room, and it seemed like all the others who'd escaped or been captured had joined them. Where else could she…?

No! He felt a shiver go up his spine, all at once feeling a sickening jolt in his stomach.

"Nana!" He screamed aloud in panic, all at once bursting away and back into the main area of the fortress.

"Cooro, wait!"

He heard the footsteps of his other two old friends behind him as he raced down the hallways, frantically calling out her name. What if she was injured somewhere? She…had to be… He swallowed hard. Otherwise…

What if…? What if she'd been…? What if the guards had…?

And, somewhere in the back of his mind, he was aware that Catherine's presence had appeared again… It was actually growing stronger, making the haze in his mind flare up uncomfortably. Not having the strength left to deal with it, Cooro withdrew his wings, continuing his search on foot.

He screamed out her name again, a terrified lump starting to ache in his throat. He couldn't take this! He had to find her now!

"Cooro, calm down! We need to go back and tell everyone what's going on! With all of those people, we'll definitely be able to find her!"

The boy barely heard the voice of his silver-haired old friend, feeling nauseous with worry as his eyes frantically scanned each room they passed.

He ran on ahead, not stopping as his two male companions tried to catch up.

"Looking for someone?"

It was that voice that made him halt in his tracks, with Husky and Senri abruptly coming to a stop behind him.

The words came from a familiar female voice, but not the one he'd been hoping to hear.

Cooro's gaze stretched even wider, the boy taking a few steps back as the figure of a black-winged woman emerged from one of the rooms, coming to stand in front of them.

"Ca…Catherine!" He sputtered, the pendant around his neck flaring wildly to protect his mind, even without his +anima activated.

It was only a moment before the breath caught in Cooro's throat, making him choke on his own gasp as his mouth fell open. His heart dropped sickeningly inside of him, his whole body going cold.

A few seconds passed before he could speak, hardly able to hear his own voice over his rapid heartbeat. "Where did you… Where did you get that scarf?"

The edges of Catherine's lips upturned as a cold, emotionless smile appeared on her features. "Hmm… I wonder. Where do you think?" She taunted, a strange brightness in her inhuman eyes as she watched his.

It was Catherine. Nana was missing because of Catherine, not the guards.

Cooro felt his palms twist into fists as he narrowed his eyes, his whole figure shaking. "Where…is she?" He whispered quietly, before his voice all at once rose to a scream. "Where is she? Where's Nana? _Where is she_?"

Nothing in Catherine's eyes changed as she watched him. "The poor thing." She started coldly, her voice casual and empty. "She was so worried about you that she went on ahead to find you, but…she found me instead."

"_Where is she_?" Cooro demanded again, his fear making him feel dizzy as he awaited her answer. "If you've even touched her, I'll –"

"You'll what?" The black-winged woman interrupted, mock curiosity in her voice. "You'll save her like you did Elizabeth?"

Cooro opened his mouth to speak, but it came out as a shrill, angry scream, the boy all at once rushing her. He momentarily let his wings appear again, managing to comfortably keep control just for a second as he sent a wind blade her direction.

Catherine dodged it with nothing but a flap of her wings, countering with her own. It smacked him right in the chest, sending him to the ground with a violent thud.

"Worthless." She glowered down at him, unmoved. "You'll never be able to fully harness your abilities as you are now."

"Where is she…? Where is she?" He repeated again, ignoring her words as his human gaze met her straight in her demon-like one. He was still keeping his voice threatening and loud, but she could see water starting to spill from underneath his anguished eyes.

She just stared at him for a moment longer, the same smile still on her face. "I still don't understand, brother. What do you see in human emotions? What do you see in love? Look what it's done to you."

Cooro said nothing, but never once moved his gaze away from hers, his human irises filled with a mixture of fear and rage.

Husky and Senri didn't say anything, either, the two of them just watching and listening with wide eyes.

"Human emotions. Human love. It's all weakness. It all brings pain. We are above pain. Why do want to have it? If you take off your mask, the pain will disappear forever. You will be complete, as you were meant to be." She continued, staring back just as steadily.

"I have no mask!" He spat. "I've decided that this is who I am! I would never be complete any other way. I won't let you take that from me!"

Nothing on Catherine's face shifted. "If only you realized how strong the illusion you are trapped in is, brother. You're mocking yourself with every word you speak. She's the one that built it up that way, isn't she? No matter. It's only a dream, and dreams always end. You will wake up again."

"Where is she?" Cooro screamed again, ignoring her words.

This time Catherine moved her gaze away, tiring of taunting him. "The bat +anima is alive, if that's what you mean." She answered.

Cooro instantly felt a wave of relief, finally able to take a breath. That didn't stop his heart from pounding, though.

"I'll be keeping her with me for a while, though. And her heart just might not stay beating for much longer…" Catherine added threateningly. "You have five days. I still don't understand how a single, worthless human girl can be so important to your mask, but if she truly is, come to me and take off that mask before then. Otherwise I will return her to you as a corpse."

The woman reached for the scarf currently around her neck, untying it. She held it up lightly with two fingers, before retracting them and watching it fall to the stone floor below. "Wouldn't that pain be too much to bear? Even for someone who craves it like you?"

Catherine turned away, passing him just one last look before spreading her wings and taking off down the hall. He would be able to seek her out just like she could to him. She would be waiting.

None of the +anima did anything for a few painful, silent moments, before Cooro all at once got back to his feet and padded over to the scarf.

His hands shaking, he reached down and picked it up, feeling the familiar, soft material against his palm.

He stared down at it, salty drops of water starting to dampen its surface as they leaked from his horrified eyes. He held it close to him, unable to stop his chest from throbbing.

"Nana!" He wailed, his helpless cry echoing all along the stone hallway.

* * *

_Well…their long sought return to the fortress wasn't exactly peaceful…_

_Please review and stay tuned!_


	22. Chapter Twenty One: Shattered Promises

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_At long last, on to the next chapter! I also apologize for the wait for this one - I wanted to have it up sooner. I've just been really stretched for time recently, and also got hit with a bit of writers block…_

_But, in any case, enjoy - here's the twenty-first full chapter!_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One: **Shattered Promises

* * *

_The girl slowly moved her black, feathered wings away from her face, feeling her muscles pull and stretch as they unfurled. It was a new sensation, making her shiver as her eyesight started to focus. She just stood there for a moment, staring down at her small, delicate fingers through the reddish, wavy strands of hair that dangled in front of her face. _

_So this is what it felt like to be human._

_How strange. She gingerly moved her fingers, before lightly feeling her face and the rest of her new form. She held her fingers to her chest, momentarily mesmerized and fascinated with the beat of her heart and the rhythm of her lungs as air worked its way through her body. There was an odd beauty to it, but how did humans cope with being so fragile? With their intricate, but heavy, bodies made of flesh? After all, flesh and bone broke so easily, and blood wasn't hard to spill…_

_She supposed she'd have to get used to it now, too, though. She'd already made the transformation – she couldn't go back yet._

_And, at least for a while, she wouldn't even have her abilities. As her currently small body grew, her power would return. But until then, until her delicate, fleshy body was strong enough, she would have to survive like any normal human._

_What did humans do during their everyday lives? Eat? Sleep? She would have to learn human behaviors quickly if she was to live long enough to reawaken. She absently looked down at her new form again. She would need clothes too, wouldn't she? Those strange materials humans draped themselves in. And "children" were usually taken care of by "adults", weren't they? She spared a quick glance around, catching sight of the stern wooden walls surrounding her and the faint wisp of light seeping in from the doorway. Hopefully they'd made a smart choice in choosing this barn._

"_We've done it! Now we just have to wait for some humans from the village to find us." The girl commented aloud, expecting her companion to hear._

_She was somewhat surprised when she got no response._

_Odd. She spun her gaze back behind her. She knew he was there. They'd begun the transformation together, and she'd heard motion in the loft that wasn't hers immediately afterwards._

_It took her a moment before she caught sight of the mostly black shape huddled in one of the corners. It was shivering, with dark wings wrapped around it like a blanket. The only other part of it that was visible were a few strands of light-brown hair uncovered at the top, and skinny, curled up legs extending from under what appeared to be hardly more than a shaking mass of feathers._

_Bewildered, she took a few steps closer, bending down slightly as she approached it. "What are you doing? Is something wrong?" She asked urgently, for a moment afraid that something might've gone wrong with her companion's transformation._

_But the face that was slowly revealed as the figure's wings cautiously pulled away looked human enough. It was when his wide, fearful green eyes met hers that she tensed. _

"_Who are you?" The boy breathed, his voice trembling. "Who are you…?"_

_The girl didn't answer, just staring back in confusion. Who was she? And not just his face as expected, but his eyes actually looked human. They looked…afraid._

"_Who are you?" The small boy demanded again with a wavering voice, nervously pressing himself against the wall. "And who…who am I? What's going on? What is this? What's happening? I can't remember anything!"_

_The girl just stared a moment longer, something in her stomach sinking. He…couldn't remember? He couldn't remember her? He couldn't remember what he was? He couldn't remember why they were there? Anything? She raised a hand, all at once smacking it hard across his face as her companion let out a startled cry._

"_What are doing? You're acting as pathetic as a real human child! Snap out of it!" She demanded, her voice raised in urgency and disgust. She grabbed his trembling new form by the shoulders and held him against the wall, forcing him to meet her gaze as she stared down coldly._

"_P…please, let me go!" The boy wailed, struggling to avoid her eyes as he squirmed under her grasp. "I…I don't know what you're talking about! I don't understand! It hurts – please, let go!"_

_The girl felt something wet hit one of her arms, making her recoil back as she realized water had started falling from his eyes. She watched scared tears well up on his face, leaving salty trails on his cheeks as she stared at her companion in a mixture of dismay, amazement, and bewilderment._

_This wasn't right. Even if he'd lost his memory during the transformation, he shouldn't have been human enough to actually shed tears. Something must've happened to him on the inside, too. Had his heart somehow been transformed as well? The person in front of her didn't even feel like her companion anymore – the black wings were a telltale sign of his true identity, but he didn't seem any different from a regular, frightened human child. _

_Why? She remembered everything! She felt the same as she always had! Why had he ended up like this? …Had there been a secret part of her companion that'd always been jealous of humans? If he'd held such a feeling, even if it'd been faint, perhaps it'd made him react this way to the transformation. At least, for now. Surely he would go back to how he really was as his power returned. Even if he had held such a secret, small desire, she knew that her companion would be disgusted if he could see the way he was acting now. But…_

_She looked straight at the boy's nervous gaze again, watching as another tear dribbled down his face. If he'd truly become so human, it didn't seem as though she was going to be able to knock him out of his trance for now. She would have to wait. Maybe when he started regaining his inhuman abilities she would be able to snap him out of it – after all, his power would react with hers._

_But she would have to protect him until that happened. After all, a human child couldn't defend themselves without someone to look after them. _

"_Who…who are you…?" The boy piped up shakily again as she moved her gaze back to him. He seemed to have calmed a bit since she let go, but he was still shaking, pressing himself against the wooden wall. "Wh…what's happening? I can't remember… I can't…remember…" His body gave a jerk, the beginning of a sob leaving his mouth._

_Deciding that scaring him any further wouldn't be of any use, the girl reached out a hand more gently, placing it on his wet cheek. The boy flinched, but started to relax a bit as her gaze softened. _

"_It's all right. Even if you can't remember, it's me – I'm your sister." She announced gently, trying to say something that would seem acceptable. She hadn't thought ahead for this. Sister… They were somewhat like kin, weren't they?_

"_S…sister?" The boy visibly relaxed, but he stared back at her in bewilderment. "If you're my sister, then why did you hit me? Why do we have wings? What are we doing out here? What's your name…what…what's mine?"_

_The girl placed a finger over his mouth, trying to silence the barrage of questions. "We don't have names. Maybe one of the villagers will give some to us, but for right now just call me your sister." She explained simply. "We don't have names, and we have wings because we're…special. I hit you because I wanted to make you remember, but even if you can't, it'll be fine."_

"_Special…?" The boy's eyes widened at her words. "What do you mean? How could we not have names? Why…why can't I remember?" His voice started tightening again, his eyes once more beginning to water._

_The girl moved her hands to his shoulders again, more softly. "You don't need to worry about it." She assured sternly. "Even without your memory, everything will be fine if you listen to what I say. Don't ever leave my side, and I'll protect you…brother."_

"_B…but…" He sputtered, inching just a bit closer to her. _

"_Don't ask any more questions." The young girl ordered, in a way that wasn't necessarily threatening, but still made it clear that it wasn't up for discussion. "We're here to try and find a family. You don't have anything to worry about. Just go to sleep, and maybe someone will find us in the morning."_

"_O…okay…" The boy eventually decided, coming up all the way next to her before gingerly plopping down in the hay that covered the floor of the barn's loft. "G…goodnight, sister…" He sputtered quietly, the girl feeling his fingers entwine with hers as he lay down and covered himself up with his wings again._

_The girl sighed, staring down at the place where their hands were intertwined for another moment. He was so vulnerable now, it'd be hard to protect him. But at least that vulnerability seemed to make him easy to manipulate. And thankfully, human years tended to go by quickly. It would only be for a while._

_They just needed to wait for someone to find them. When someone saw them – two skinny, unclothed young children sleeping alone in a cold barn – they would take them in, right? After all, wasn't that how most human hearts worked?_

_After that, it would only be a matter of time._

* * *

Catherine stared distantly ahead, her unfocused eyes set on the dimming light seeping in from the cracked doorway as her feet dangled from the side of the loft.

They had indeed been found in the barn the next day all those years ago. A man who'd come to tend his cattle had found them sleeping in the loft's hay. And despite their dark, unusual wings and odd, sudden appearance, he'd shown them to his wife, and the family had decided to take them in.

Fools.

The black-winged woman glanced around, remembering what the barn had once looked like. It'd once been full of braying cattle and horses, and the musty scent of fresh hay had filled the air, but now it was all but falling apart, and the only sound was that of the mice scurrying about inside the walls. Human years really did seem to go by fast sometimes.

She had been christened as 'Sophia', and her companion had been named 'Mirka'. Those names were what the farmers and the rest of the villagers had decided to call them.

But the two of them, Sophia and Mirka, hadn't lived long. They'd only dwelled in those bodies for a little over three years after that. But regardless, the village had been their first human home.

That was right. It'd all started here, and it would all end here. It was time for him to finally return to his senses.

* * *

Nana slowly opened her eyes, confused at first by the unfamiliar wooden walls and hard floor she was lying on.

Where…was…?

"_Stop struggling. Sleep now."_

She instantly bolted up as her last memories returned, making the girl gasp for breath as she recalled the feeling of the black-winged woman's hand against her face, and the blackness that'd slowly come over her.

Catherine!

Nana glanced around frantically, hoping to see that she'd somehow woken up somewhere with her old friends. But her heart quickly sunk, the girl catching sight of the witch not far ahead, sitting at what looked like the edge of a railing. She winced – had she heard her startle as she woke? She didn't seem to be paying any attention…maybe her thoughts were elsewhere.

She bit her lip, fighting back the helpless, scared tears that threatened to appear. Where was this place? What had she done to her? Where were the others? She'd been trying to find Cooro when she'd ended up finding Catherine instead, and Husky and Senri had still been following behind her somewhere. Where were they? Were they…all right?

Nana spared a quick glance around. This clearly wasn't the fortress. What was it? Judging from the wide, large wooden shape of the building, and the old, scattered bits of rotted hay, it was some sort of barn… It was impossible to tell the location of the barn they were in, but why would she have taken her to a place like that?

She didn't think she could fly without Catherine hearing the beating of her wings, but it looked like a ladder led down from the platform they were on. It was far to the left, out of her capture's line of sight. Maybe, if she was really quiet…

Carefully, she maneuvered her way over towards the edge of what appeared to be a loft, setting her feet on the ladder and slowly descending. Her whole body was sore from her fight with the black-winged woman earlier, she realized as she moved, but she didn't have the opportunity to let it bother her now.

She managed to make it all the way down without the raven +anima ever noticing. Hardly daring to breathe, the girl kept herself in the shadows along the wall, cautiously moving forward.

It was when the floor gave a loud creak under her foot that she stopped in her tracks. Her breath caught tightly in her throat, the girl nervously spun her gaze back to her captor.

* * *

Catherine all at once tensed out of her thoughts as a loud creaked sounded in the abandoned barn. It was normal for the old wood to make some sounds on its own, but nothing like that. That was definitely a footstep.

She whirled around, grimacing in alarm as she realized that the girl she'd put there – the bat +anima she'd taken from the old war fortress as bait for her target – was no longer sleeping on the floor of the loft.

Spinning her gaze around again in the direction she'd heard the creak, it didn't take her long to catch sight of a figure trying to hold itself still and silent against the wall.

She instantly took to the air, only to be hit with bat-like, stunning sound waves as she swooped down towards the girl.

Using the opportunity, the bat +anima quickly pulled out of her knives and took to the air herself now that she'd been seen, frantically trying to get to the exit.

But she couldn't move fast enough – Catherine propelled herself into the other girl with her large, powerful wings the instant she recovered, knocking the wind out of them both as she forced her to the ground and covered her mouth with her palm.

"You really are strong-willed, aren't you?" The black-winged woman allowed as she struggled to keep the bat +anima under control. "It's unusual for anyone to wake up that fast."

This girl was unusually hard to deal with. She'd somehow managed to put the mask back on her target the one time it'd truly faded, and now she'd awoken far sooner than she'd expected. It was normal for people to wake up on their own eventually, but usually her sleeping spell lasted at least another day or two longer. She hadn't expected to have to deal with her again yet.

Perhaps she should've made the spell more potent, but as it was, she'd already used up a lot of power, and didn't have anything else to spare considering that she was waiting for her target and didn't want to wear herself out. She didn't think she had enough to put her back to sleep now, either. Not as things currently were, anyway. She frowned inwardly, frustrated as she recalled how tireless her power used to be.

"Let me go!" The girl shouted with her voice muffled against her palm, making a futile attempt to knock her captor back with her elbow. Catherine dodged it easily, but what she didn't expect was to feel a knife slash against her from the other side. She winced, briefly falling back as the girl managed to get the blade to connect with her other hand.

She was hit with another stunning screech almost instantly as the girl pulled herself free, spinning to face her with both of her knives in hand.

The bat +anima quickly started charging forwards with her blades outstretched. Catherine forced herself to recover, sending out a somewhat clumsy wind blade in her direction.

Nana threw herself to the side, managing to avoid most of the strike but still taking a gash on her arm as it whirled by. Giving a cry and momentarily grasping her arm, she fought to keep her balance, focusing her aim on Catherine again and forcing away the pain as she resumed her charge.

Surprised, the witch immediately took a quick step back, sending out another wind blade.

This time having anticipated it, the girl took to the air before it connected, fluttering over it as she suddenly dove for the killer's left.

Catherine barely managed to jerk out of the way as the bat +anima drove the knife down where her wing had been only seconds earlier, but as she made another strike, the black-winged woman suddenly recalled both of her wings, leaving the girl momentarily disoriented as her target disappeared. The raven +anima quickly spun around, this time using her fist to knock the startled girl hard against the nearby wall, sending her collapsing to the ground after a groan.

"Nice try – thought you'd be a hero and go after my wings, huh? But what are you going to do now?" The woman mocked, crossing her arms and putting her palms against the markings on her shoulders to emphasize the fact that her wings had disappeared. Like any +anima, she could retract them when she wanted to.

Nana looked back up at her, managing to push her throbbing body up partway with her arms. She momentarily stared at her captor. It was the first time she'd seen her without wings, it looked…strange. She'd almost forgotten that she would have such an ability. Of course, though – Cooro could hide both his wings and his power, and switch into his +anima when he wanted to use it. It would be the same for her, wouldn't it? "You'll have to take them back out again to fight." She pointed out her own voice sounding meeker than she wanted it to as it left her mouth. There was no way Catherine could hide her weak point that easily, though – she wasn't going to fall for another punch.

The woman just met the stare, the edge of a cold, almost slightly amused, smile appearing on her lips. "You still want to fight? I would've thought you would've realized what happens when you resist by now – and your fragile, human form doesn't look like it can take much more."

Nana didn't say anything, just biting her lip. The raven +anima actually seemed a lot less threatening without her wings. If only there was some other way to permanently kill her when she was in this form… If she could attack her without her +anima out she'd have a much better chance.

Catherine titled her head a bit, as if realizing what the girl was scanning her for. "I have no other weakness." She announced with a dark grin. "Even though I don't have my abilities right now, I'm pretty safe if permanently getting rid of me is your goal. The only other way to purge me from this world is if you were to somehow deprive me of my power. But…my power and that of my brother is connected – if you were to try anything, your precious 'Cooro' would perish as well."

Nana gave no verbal response, but the way she tensed signaled that the raven +anima had indeed addressed her thoughts.

Cooro…

Images of the battle-torn, bloodstained fortress drifted back into her mind. She never had found him. But if Catherine was holding her captive, then that had to mean he'd survived the conflict…didn't it? She would know if he hadn't, wouldn't she?

"Cooro… Where is he? Is he all right? What about the others…?" She eventually asked aloud, still not moving her gaze from Catherine's inhuman one.

"I don't keep track of the others, but 'Cooro' is fine." The woman answered simply. "Otherwise I would've simply been rid of you by now. If he'd ever ended up in true danger, I would've protected him. I won't lose him again this time." She repeated sternly.

The raven +anima suddenly stepped forward again, hovering over the wounded girl. "And you're staying here to help me." She reaffirmed, grabbing her by the arms as she yanked her back up.

Even without her +anima, she was still surprisingly strong. She managed to spin the girl around, holding her arms down with one of her own, and covering her mouth with the other.

There was a cellar here. She remembered it. Sometimes the farmers had sent her to retrieve food from the barn cellar when she'd been called 'Sophia.' It was also the place where her companion had liked to go when he'd wanted time alone, back when he'd been 'Mirka.' The way he'd brought a lot of his things there and re-arranged the space inside, sometimes sneaking bits of food from the crates, had always driven the farmer mad. Ironic, that the person who was precious to the being who bore that same soul would be imprisoned there.

She dragged the struggling bat +anima towards the place where she recalled the entrance being, discretely taking her wings back out to raise her strength now that she had her safely pinned down again.

It was still there – the old, heavy wooden doors protruding from the barn's floor marked the entrance, just as they always had. Carefully and swiftly, she moved one hand away from the girl, lifting up one of the doors before thrusting her inside the new opening with her other arm. She let out a startled cry, vanishing into the darkness of the underground room as Catherine let the doors slam shut again.

The black-winged woman quickly locked it, barring it shut with the rusty steel slab hocked between the doors.

"What is this? Get me out of here!" Nana protested, letting out an angry scream as she banged uselessly on the doors.

Perfect.

Catherine just smiled.

* * *

Cooro sat with his back against the cold, stone wall and his feet up on his bed. His head was on his knees, with his arms wrapped around them. In one hand dangled a familiar black and lilac scarf, scrunched tightly between his sweaty fingers. It was dark inside the sleeping quarter, with the flame from the candle on the bedside table slowly starting to wane as it began to run out of wick. He hardly noticed, though. He wasn't even sure how long he'd been there.

Nana…

He clutched his legs tighter to his chest.

_Even if I…even if I end up getting hurt in the end, I won't be sorry that I met you…_

That'd been the last time he'd seen her – just before he'd gone off to help Telly and her friends.

Things had ended up exactly like he'd feared, exactly as he'd always known they would, deep down. As long as Catherine was alive, he was denied having anyone close to him. This is what happened when he'd been selfish enough to hope for anything different. Regardless of the words Nana herself had spoken, he doubted she'd still say that now.

_You have five days. I still don't understand how a single, worthless human girl can be so important to your mask, but if she truly is, come to me and take off that mask before then. Otherwise I will return her to you as a corpse._

Five days… He knew the night following the battle had already passed. He couldn't stay there in that room much longer… He had to find Catherine.

She'd done something like this before, back when he and Nana had first been reunited. She'd told him to come give himself up to her in exchange for her life during that night he'd stayed at her old cabin. Things hadn't quite gone that way, but he'd been prepared to follow Catherine's demand then.

Now…even though, or perhaps because, Nana meant so much to him, he felt different.

He'd never wanted to hurt anyone. That was why he'd tried so hard to run for all that time. He'd resisted for the sake of the people he'd known he'd end up hurting, not for himself. Other than that, he'd already felt completely destroyed inside – he himself hadn't really had anything to lose.

But now…he'd found that he'd learned how to smile again. A spark he'd thought he'd lost forever had begun to faintly reappear inside of him. He'd gotten just a taste of what life might've been like if things had been different…if he'd been…normal.

Now, he didn't want to give it up.

Cooro suppressed a sob by pressing his face harder against his knees, wiping his eyes with an elbow. It wasn't fair! It wasn't fair at all!

He wanted things to go back to how they were. The four of them had started to become something like a family again. He wanted to stay with them. The war didn't seem like it was going to last much longer. He wanted Nana to be there beside him, while they all waited out the rest of the conflict in the fortress like all the other +anima, ready to face the future anew once it was over.

But if he tried to resist Catherine, what if something horrible happened to Nana? He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let her pay the price for his selfish hope of something he could never have. Even if it meant breaking the promise he'd made to her, he had no other choice.

Slowly, Cooro uncurled his legs and forced his feet to the floor, making himself rise to them. It was hard to get up when he felt so heavy, but he couldn't let time tick away anymore.

Absently wondering if this was the last time he'd ever see the fortress, he blew out what remained of the candle and tucked Nana's scarf away in the bag by his bedside, grabbing it as he headed out of the small room.

* * *

"How much longer is he going to just sit in there moping? That witch gave us five days, and we don't even know where she is! Just five days! We can't stay here anymore, we have to do _something_! If we don't, it'll be too late!" Husky paced restlessly back and forth down the empty hallway, his voice raised in frustration as Senri just stood by the door to their room.

"Nana… Cooro…" The bear +anima piped up desolately, his eyes downcast. "…Don't want to lose either one…"

"I don't either!" Husky spun his gaze back around to his companion. "But…we can't just sit here and let that witch _kill_ Nana without even lifting a finger to stop her!"

"…But…Cooro…" Senri repeated, an unusual hopelessness in his monotone voice.

According to the threat that black-winged woman had made, it was either one or the other. If they even tried to save both, there was no telling what she might do to Nana. That was what made this situation hurt so much.

Husky stopped pacing, his eyes staring blankly down at his feet. "It was his fault, anyway…"

He was almost startled as the words left his mouth, but it was true – this had happened because of how close Cooro had become with Nana. That was why that disgusting woman wanted to use her as bait.

_I still don't understand, brother. What do you see in human emotions? What do you see in love? _

_Human emotions. Human love. It's all weakness. _

The words the witch had spoken to Cooro replayed in his head.

…Love?

He felt a strange sting.

If it'd been enough for the witch to notice, he doubted that it could be completely one-sided, but…could Nana really have…?

Husky gritted his teeth, surprised at the sudden rush of anger he felt.

Cooro shouldn't have let himself get close to her, not with that killer lurking around him! He must've known that something like this could happen! He must've known she'd be in danger! He…shouldn't have…

Husky suddenly felt guilty, noticing an ache in his chest.

He'd always cared about Cooro, too. He'd felt horrible about what he'd almost done to him back when he'd still been with Astar's forces. He'd been worried when he'd started acting sick the first time they'd arrived at the fortress. He'd gone to Astar to save _both_ him and Nana when they'd been taken away, and he'd grieved them both when he'd thought they'd died in the accident beforehand.

But now…a part of him couldn't help but wonder that if it'd somehow just been the three of them – him, Senri, and Nana – if they would've been happier. They'd done so much to help Cooro. But so much would've been avoided if he wasn't there. So much would never have happened.

As much as he cared for his companion, it was hard not to feel any resentment.

And…Nana…

He felt awful, but, if it truly came down to choosing between Cooro and Nana, deep down, he already knew what choice he would want to make.

Senri didn't say anything, an uncomfortable silence falling over them both.

No. He shouldn't even be thinking that way. Maybe they could save them both yet… Things didn't always go the way it seemed like they would. What point was there in giving up?

The door to their room creaked open just a few moments later, finally making them both look up.

Cooro himself stepped through it, emerging into the hallway with the two of them. His own eyes were even more dull and downcast than theirs, but he already had his bag around his waist. "I have to leave now to find Catherine…" He announced, not meeting either of their gazes.

Husky sighed, any harsh remarks he had suddenly disappearing on his tongue. "Right." He just nodded. "We're ready. Tell us where to go."

The dark-haired boy bit his lip. "I'm…not sure if you should come… What if you get hurt, too…?"

Surprised, Husky just stared at him for a moment. "But, if you go alone, isn't that just like giving in to that witch?" He protested, suddenly realizing how much he really didn't want that when he saw how pathetic his childhood friend looked. "Look…Nana's our friend as well. …And…you are…too. You're not leaving us behind. We're going."

"But –" The crow +anima argued, his eyes suddenly moving up to meet theirs.

"We're going, and that's that." The former guard decided sternly, leaving no more room for protest. Senri nodded, coming up to stand closer.

Cooro hesitated a moment longer, before the hint of a smile appeared on his lips. "Thank you…" He answered quietly, wiping a hand under his eyes again.

"Let's just go…" Husky urged, looking away slightly. "You can sense where that witch is or something, can't you? Which direction do we need to start heading?"

"Umm…" Cooro briefly closed his eyes, letting his wings appear and unfurl from his shoulders as the pendant around his neck took on a glow. He'd always been able to sense Catherine's presence instinctively when she was close by, but he'd never actually sought her out before like she had done with him. But…their abilities were the same, weren't they? He should be able to seek her out himself. Surely that was what she expected of him.

Trying to block out everything in his mind except her, he suddenly felt the familiar tingle of her presence pulse faintly at the edge of his senses.

He opened his eyes again, letting the unpleasant sensation fade.

"We need to head southeast. She's probably a day's travel away." He announced, not sure how he knew.

Husky paused, looking uncertain for a few seconds, before nodding. "All right, if you say so. Do you have any idea where she might be?"

Cooro shook his head. Southeast from the fortress…? He wasn't sure what kind of place Catherine would wait for him at, but he couldn't think of anything recognizable to him in that direction. "No…but I should be able to sense her exact location as we get closer. We shouldn't have any trouble finding her anyway."

"Okay…then let's get this over with." Husky prompted, before getting a nod out of both of his companions.

Briefly gathering up whatever else they might need, the three +anima started walking down the familiar stone hallway towards the entrance, ready to leave the fortress once again.

* * *

It was the time just before dawn, when the sky first started taking on a blue tint in anticipation of the sunrise, that the city first came into view.

Following Cooro's directions, the three +anima had traveled through the rest of the day and most of night, before arriving now on what seemed to be the outskirts of a large, seaside town.

"Umm…Cooro, are you sure she's this way?" Husky asked, surprised that the witch would pick a place like this to wait for them.

The dark-haired young man nodded. "Yeah – she's somewhere relatively nearby. She's…probably somewhere in the city…" He answered, sounding a bit bewildered himself. She was indeed close, though, enough that he'd started sensing her automatically, without having to use his power. That was good – that way he could still follow her without having to go into the town with his wings out. Realizing that, he quickly switched back out of his +anima form.

"Let's go…" He prompted, though there was a slight hesitance in his voice. …Would he ever step out of the city again the way he was now? He was glad that they'd caught up with where Nana was likely being kept, but he still didn't know what he was going to do once he got there… He could only hope he'd somehow be able to walk out with her.

He found himself swallowing hard as they approached the city and entered, stepping on to the stone road that weaved its way throughout the town. A large wooden sign hung above them in an arch, bearing the words 'Welcome to Blue-Water Resort' in bold, painted white letters, greeting them.

…A resort city? It really did seem like a strange location for Catherine to pick.

Regardless of the fact that it wasn't even quite yet dawn, there were already people walking the streets, with candlelight coming from the windows of the town's huge buildings. Most that he could see appeared to be two story, with long, wide structures – they looked like large inns. Further ahead were what looked like restaurants and shops, lining the stone pathway up ahead for as far as he could see.

Even at this hour, when a light dusting of snow was still falling from the chilled night, the atmosphere was festive, with lanterns lining the streets and flags, wind chimes, and other decorations hanging from the buildings. It seemed like most of the shops were already open, with people of all sorts lining up by them as they got ready for the coming day. The active atmosphere and eager, morning chatter of the resort's tourists made it tempting to forget why they'd come.

It really was an amazing place…if only they'd come here under different circumstances…

"Welcome to Blue-Water Resort!" A male voice all at once chimed to the group's right, repeating the sign's words and startling Cooro out of his thoughts as he and the others spun to face the direction the sound had come from.

A man in a suit passed them a bright smile, coming up next to them. "Do you three gentlemen already have inn arrangements?"

Cooro frowned slightly – the man had some sort of logo sewed onto his suit, he was probably a salesman for one of the resort town's many competing inns. "No…we –"

"Then you should let me show you to Shimmer Shore Inn!" The worker interrupted eagerly. "We have the cheapest winter rates available in the city, and you still get a fine view of the coast and a location near to the main marketplace!"

"We're just passing through, we don't need an inn." Husky piped up sternly, sounding slightly irritated.

The man's eyes widened in exaggerated surprise. "Just passing through? No one ever 'just passes through' Blue-Water! Our city is known for its beauty, fine food, and lovely beach. We have shores both along the coast-line and on the edge of the river that runs near to the mountain base. Even in the winter, when it's too cold to swim, we still have a famous view and fine spots for fishing and boat tours. Surely you're staying for at least a night?"

"We're not planning to – we just want to finish what we came here for and leave. Try someone else." Husky insisted, though Cooro's eyes had started absently drifting off to the beach that bordered the city.

The sun had started to rise now, painting both the sky and sea in bright, warm shades of orange and pink against the slowing, white flakes of snow falling from the now colored clouds. It was still cold, but several people were still sitting on the shore with their eyes turned to the horizon.

There was a young couple sitting on a bench not far from the road, watching with their bodies leaned against each others, and further down a mother and three children laughing and playing in the damp, snow dusted sand as the city slowly started to light up.

It was beautiful… Even though watching the sun rise against the falling winter flakes had a contentedness to it, he could imagine how nice this place was during the summer…

* * *

_The young boy, no older than seven or eight, felt the warm waves brush against his bare feet as he ran his fingers through the sand near the ocean's shore, listening to the seagulls greet the morning as they busily flew by._

_It was sunrise now, making the water glow in pastel shades as it reflected the sky. He loved being on the beach at this time of day. _

_Giggling as a slightly larger wave dampened his ankles, the boy continued searching the shoreline as the salty, summer sea breeze made his light-brown hair dance in front of his eyes._

_He suddenly felt his fingers hit something as he moved them through the sand, making him pause as he reached down and unearthed a seashell. He pulled it up, blinking as he examined it._

"_Brother! There you are! I was looking all over for you!" _

_The boy turned his gaze away from the shell as a voice sounded a few feet away, smiling as he recognized the approaching young girl with wavy, reddish hair._

"_Sister, look what I found!" He chimed, kicking up hot, dry sand as he raced towards her. He held out the shell – a perfect, finely patterned empty shell of a sea-snail – as he reached her, grinning. "Don't the villagers say that it's good luck when you find a shell like this that isn't broken?"_

_Her straight lips never moved, but the girl lightly ruffled the boy's hair, making him give a playful laugh. "That's nice, but you aren't supposed to come out here by yourself. You need to tell me where you go. You know that."_

_The young boy frowned just a bit, but the brightness in his eyes didn't fade. He and his sister were the same age, but she always played the role of a protective, older sibling. Even though sometimes she could seem a bit harsh, it was only because she worried about him. _

"_Yeah…" He admitted. "But…you were still sleeping, and I didn't want to wake you up… I just wanted to come out for the sunrise… It's always so pretty! Don't you…think so…?"_

_The girl sighed, wavering under his hopeful gaze. "I…suppose so…" She decided, absently looking away and towards the warmly shaded horizon as the boy gave a wide, satisfied smile. _

* * *

"Umm…Cooro?"

The dark-haired boy gave a startled gasp as he felt someone give him a tap, abruptly spinning around to find Husky giving him a bewildered look. "H…huh?" He sputtered, momentarily disoriented as the distance slowly faded from his eyes.

"Is something wrong?" His companion asked, sounding slightly taken aback. "You were kind of zoning out for a minute, there."

"O…oh…umm… It's nothing!" He answered quickly, coming back to reality. "It's just…the sunrise is pretty…" He added as he absently turned back towards the colored sky.

"Oh yes!" The inn-worker piped up, nodding enthusiastically. "Many say we have the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets in all of Astaria! …Are you sure you wouldn't like me to book you for a night? We still have view rooms open?"

Husky sighed. "Fine." He decided, sounding defeated. "I guess I'm actually feeling a bit spacey myself after traveling so long, and we still have some time… Maybe it would be wise to get a room to rest up in for a while before we go any further…"

"All right! Then follow me to the inn!" The man beamed, sounding pleased. Husky and Senri followed as he started leading them down the path, but Cooro lingered a moment longer, just staring at the horizon.

There was a strange lump in his throat, images of the same beach during the summer still haunting the edge of his mind.

A…memory…? Was this another place like Willowind?

It was a lot fainter and hazier, though, than the scenes that'd gone through his head in that village – he almost wondered if that was a real memory. If it was, it was much, much more distant than the ones he had as Tilah. But there was something almost painfully nostalgic about that sunrise.

He glanced around again, trying to see if anything else about the city felt familiar like Willowind as a whole had. It didn't. Not even the name of the resort.

Still, he found himself adjusting the scarf he was wearing to cover up the currently exposed markings on his shoulders, what happened in that forlorn, old village quickly coming back to him.

If it _was_ somewhere that was connected to their past, though, it could explain why Catherine had made him come to this city…

"Cooro! Are you coming?"

The crow +anima whirled back, finding both Husky and Senri waiting for him now.

"Y…yeah!" Hurriedly, he abandoned the slowly fading sunrise, running to catch up.

* * *

The inn was indeed quite nice. It probably wasn't the most elegant or extravagant of all the resort city's choices, but it was very comfortable, and the sea shells and fish used to decorate it matched the atmosphere of the town. The three of them had gotten some food from the inn's café before heading to their room to rest up a bit. Regardless, though, the last thing Cooro felt like doing was relaxing, not with the weight of what would come later hanging over his head. It was impossible.

He'd decided to go back out into the city as soon as he'd forced down as much food as he could, and the others, possibly feeling as restless as him, had decided to come.

Cooro tensed, feeling the potency of Catherine's presence increase as they kept absently moving forward towards the outskirts of the village opposite the side they came in. He suddenly stopped walking, biting his lip. "Catherine…she's…really close now…" He muttered, swallowing hard.

"Really?" Husky blinked, both him and Senri straightening. "Somewhere by the outskirts here?"

The dark-haired boy just nodded, anxiously feeling his fingernails dig in to his palms.

There was a brief, tense silence.

"Nana… Let's…just go find her now." Cooro decided quietly, feeling his heart start to pound. But…what point was there in putting it off any longer? Especially not when Nana might be suffering… He needed to get her away from Catherine as soon as he could!

There was another silence.

"But…" Husky started hesitantly. "What will you do when we get there…?"

"I…don't know…" He answered honestly, his voice hardly more than a scared, sad sounding whisper, his gaze set blankly on his feet. "I can't let Nana get hurt, but…I don't want…" His voice trailed off, the boy realizing that he was shaking.

He looked up again as he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, realizing that it belonged to Husky. Both of his companion's had come up closer, their own gazes not looking much different than his. "We don't want that, either." The former guard assured. "I… We'll do everything we can to make it so both of you can come back with us."

Cooro couldn't quite bring himself to hold their gazes. "Thank you…but, if it comes down to it… If…I… Take Nana and run away from me. Please…just don't let me or Catherine hurt you…"

This time his companions were silent, but the crow +anima started walking again, forcing himself to keep going without waiting for an answer.

The scenery started changing as they moved – the new, busy city started melting away. On the outskirts where they were, it was old, abandoned houses that lined the path, and even the stone covering the ground had disappeared. Most of the buildings were falling apart – it looked as if they'd been built many years before the rest of the current city had. Strange. If they'd been there before, why hadn't they simply been torn down to make room for more inns or shops?

Cooro didn't think about it much, but he absently noticed that the place had started looking more like Willowind. It was only the sight of a peculiar, stone pedestal that made him stop, though.

He abruptly tensed, almost taking a step back as he gazed at the out of place, slightly crumbled platform. The color of the pedestal was diluted from age, but he could still make out a hole in the center where it looked like something had once been placed, along with a charred, black stain covering the top of it surface…

Something had once been burned there.

His whole body gave a jerk, everything, even Catherine, briefly fading from his mind as he stared at it.

Flames. Jeers. Screaming. Pain.

Cooro gasped for breath, hearing what had once been his own cries rip through his head.

That was what this place was. The boy who's eyes he'd looked through in that scene at the beach… It'd been 'Mirka'… The boy who'd been burned by his village after losing control and doing something horrible.

He'd been burned…right here…

"Cooro…?" Husky called bewilderedly, but he didn't get an answer.

As if in a trance, Cooro started walking forward again, hesitantly reaching out a hand as he approached the pedestal.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

At the sound of a new voice, the boy turned, breaking his focus on the grim object as he turned to see an unfamiliar young man, close to his own age, staring at him.

"That's where this city once executed criminals. They say that if you touch it, you'll end up haunted." The man explained, as Husky and Senri also caught up. They passed their companion odd glances, but he didn't seem to notice.

"H…huh?" Cooro blinked, trying to quickly wipe the distant horror out of his eyes as he gave the man a confused glance, surprised at the last comment.

"Before this place was rebuilt into a resort, it was a village called Liresse. It was small, and like the city is now, it was supposedly quite beautiful, but…it has some dark history. They built that thing specifically to burn criminals. Most famously, two children were burned there. According to the tale, they had black wings and some sort of bizarre, inhuman power. They were apparently found in one of the villager's barns one morning, naked and thin. The man and his family decided to adopt them, and ended up dead just a few years later. The boy seemed like a normal child, and the girl was quiet and never smiled, but didn't seem especially dangerous either. It wasn't until they massacred that family and several other people that the villagers realized they'd made a mistake by taking them in, and then burned them right there on that pedestal. Creepy, huh?"

Cooro didn't say anything, shaking from the memories that flashed through his mind as the man told the story.

Liresse… Yes, that'd been the name of the village. He hadn't recognized it at first because it'd changed so much that'd it even lost its name, but, like Willowind, this place had once been his home… Until…

"That's why no one bothered to tear down the old buildings and rebuild here – no one wants to work or live even close to that thing!" The man continued, looking like he'd hardly noticed Cooro's odd reaction.

"Then why are you here?" Husky asked, sounding slightly annoyed. He took a step closer, standing in front of his trembling companion.

"Sometimes I get tired of the noise from the main part of the city." The man explained casually. "The town was never this busy until the tourism really took off a couple of years ago. We residents are definitely better off now, but it still takes some getting used to. Most of us are direct descendents of the original villagers, that's why we still know old stories like that one. But living in as busy of a place isn't in our blood – I almost like it out here better. I avoid that thing, though, and you should too. Supposedly the ghosts of the children still haunt the area by it, looking for revenge." He finished, his lips mischievously upturned a bit in spite of himself.

Still silent, Cooro turned away from the man, feeling an odd mixture of irritation and pain at hearing him talk about the tragic life he remembered as if it were some slightly fun, creepy legend.

Already knowing that the man's last claim obviously wasn't true, he focused his attention back on the grim pedestal, taking a few steps towards it.

The man frowned, looking taken aback. "Well fine, whatever. I _did_ warn you." With that, he was off, still seeming bewildered as he quickly walked away.

Cooro reached out, placing an unsteady hand against the cold surface of the pedestal, immediately having to fight back a scream.

He could still remember what if felt like. He could still feel the flames lick his feet, still feel them eat his flesh as they ravenously crawled up his body.

The boy felt his cheeks start to dampen.

He died here. Right here, on this stone pillar.

Judging from the way his memories, aside from the single, vivid sensation of the flames, were so much weaker as 'Mirka', he must've bore that name a long time before 'Tilah'. All the same, it felt strange being there – at the site of one of the worst of the nightmares that sometimes visited him in his sleep.

"…Cooro… Are you…okay?"

The crow +anima looked up at the sound of Husky's concerned voice, trying to quickly wipe the tears out of his eyes.

As painful as it was, he didn't have time for this.

"I'm…all right." He answered, trying to force a brave smile for his companions. Even if he hadn't explained everything himself, they'd surely put it together from that man's story. "Let's…find Catherine."

They stared at him a moment longer, before hesitantly nodding.

Cooro slowly got up and turned away from the pedestal, trying to sense where Catherine was hiding.

He just prayed another tragedy like the one currently passed down in this town wouldn't be created.

* * *

Nana let her body go limp, leaning exhaustedly on the doors keeping her trapped inside the small, dark space. It was no use. For all her banging and shoving, they hadn't budged an inch. Unless there was another exit somewhere, she had no way out.

Sighing in defeat, she turned from where she sat on the stairs below the doors, gazing about the dark space with the help of her +anima. It was pitch black, with the only feeble bit of light seeping weakly in through the cracks in the barn floor that acted as a roof, but with the use of her bat-like sonar, she could still make out every detail.

Her heart sunk. The walls, floors, and ceiling were all solid on either side. It indeed appeared that there was no other way out. She really was trapped.

Now that her energy had left her, her rage had dissipated into a pure, sick feeling of hopelessness.

She had to fight back a sob, not wanting Catherine to have the satisfaction of hearing her weep from where she was waiting above the cellar. She could feel her cheeks start to dampen, though, the girl struggling to keep her body from trembling. There had to be something she could do. She didn't want to be used as a helpless, pathetic instrument like this. She'd wanted to help get rid of the disgusting woman who'd both destroyed Cooro's life and taken away that of the person who'd been the closest thing she'd had to a mother. She _hated_ her. The last thing she'd wanted was to be used as her tool.

Deciding to take a better look around, Nana slowly got up, quietly running her sound waves over the room again as she scanned it. There had to be _something_. Anything at all that she could use to get out of there.

There were shelves to her left, stacked with what looked like jars, and with sacks and crates leaned up alongside them. She wasn't sure what was in the containers and bags, but figured that it'd once been food a long, long time ago. The whole place smelled strange and unpleasant, filled with scents of must and decay. Not wanting to get any closer to them, she moved in the other direction.

Instead of shelves and bags, there were boxes on this side that somehow seemed different from the crates, along with what looked like an old wooden chair. Intrigued, she carefully stepped closer, still using her sonar instead of her eyes.

The chair was light and small – too small for an adult. Had it once belonged to a child? What had a child been doing in a place like this?

Hoping that she wouldn't find long rotten food inside, she hesitantly opened one of the boxes next to it.

Indeed, it hadn't been a food container. Inside were what looked like various books, paper, and other smaller boxes and bags. Continually sending out sound waves, she dug through the items, scanning them over. The books looked like children's stories that were mostly pictures instead of words, and the loose, aged pieces of paper seemed to hold crude drawings. Inside the other containers were things like pencils and a dull knife to sharpen them with, wooden models of farm animals, a tiny flute, and a small collection of stones and sea-shells.

Nana smiled a bit in spite of herself. These had definitely been the belongings of a child once. She briefly wondered what had happened to their original owner – it was odd for things like this to have just been left there. She quickly dismissed the thought, though, as her delicate smile faltered, not wanting to think about it. Perhaps the child had simply outgrown these items and never bothered coming back for them…

Regardless, she doubted any of it would be useful.

Opening the other boxes, she continued shifting through what was mostly toys and books, just about to give up when something caught her gaze. A…slingshot? She picked the small device up, looking it over. It'd probably been meant as a toy as well, but it was well made – something that'd been used to train for hunting, perhaps? Even now, it still looked like it could be shot, and with a decent amount of force, too.

Digging around for ammo, she found a small sack filled with walnut shells and rocks. Pulling out a few of the largest stones, she weighed them in her hands, wondering how much damage they could do.

Would she still be able to use it? Back when she'd first left her childhood friends and gone to work for Niomi, some of the boys who'd shared her new job taught her how to use a slingshot in their free-time in an attempt to get her in on their games. She hadn't been too keen on the idea, but had actually been pretty good at it. Absently, she found herself pulling back on the band now, trying to recall the motions.

Nana glanced back up at ceiling, using her eyes now to search for any cracks that looked like they might be wide enough to fit a stone through.

Ascending up to one opening with a few flaps of her wings, she cautiously peered through it. Yes, this crack had enough space for a good-sized rock – she could even reach out with her hand if she wanted to, but she figured that would do little good.

Looking upwards, out into the part of the barn outside the cellar, however, she saw just the kind of thing she'd been hoping to see. Near to the loft where she'd first woken up, hung a thin piece of wood with hangers attached to it that held various farm supplies. A couple of saddles, a rope, a shovel, a bucket, and a pitchfork.

The pitchfork… Despite the rust, the points of its three forks still looked sharp.

Perhaps…if she could get the pitchfork to fall from that height…

Everything in the barn was old – could she break the thin piece of wood holding up the supplies with a hit from the slingshot? If she could…

A sound from above suddenly jarred her out of her thoughts, making her quickly recoil back from the hole and instinctively hide the slingshot as she heard footsteps creak across the floor that acted as her ceiling.

It was too late to avoid being seen, though, the girl startling as Catherine suddenly pressed her own face against the gap, gazing down at her.

"Give it up, girl." The black-winged woman sneered coldly. "He's on his way here, so it's time to behave."

Nana let out an abrupt scream, feeling an unexpected, piercing pain all at once rip through her whole body. She gasped for breath, the sting leaving a strange, cold throb as the initial rush faded. Startled, she looked herself over, noticing a blue light emanating faintly from all the way around her figure.

"W…what did you do?" She demanded urgently up at Catherine, her heart pounding hard.

The raven +anima's lip unturned delicately. She briefly waved one of her hands over the opening, making Nana's gaze widen as she noticed a matching azure glow. "Not much. It simply means that if I want you to, you drop dead." She explained casually, an odd gleam in her eyes as she saw fear well up in the other girls.

"I'll be true to my word. If my brother takes off his mask for me – once and for all this time, so that not even you can put it back – I'll let you go and release the link. That is, if he'll still want me to at that point. But if he resists, I'll kill you without even raising a hand and make the human life he treasures so much miserable. It's his choice what happens to you now."

With that, Catherine moved away from the gap, wing beats echoing through the barn as she went to watch and wait from the loft.

This time Nana couldn't stop the tears, feeling water stream down her cheeks as her whole form quivered. She gave a few ragged sobs as she collapsed to her knees, unable to keep them from leaving her mouth.

* * *

Cooro stopped as he approached the old, wooden shape of the barn, its form looming over him against the cloudy sky.

He could feel the all-too-familiar haze in his head start to throb desperately at the back of his consciousness, fought off only by the warmth of the pendent. It was pulsating brightly now, feeling hot against his chest as it struggled against both the dark haze and the winter chill.

The young man stared at the tall building for a few more moments as his companions came up behind him, trying to keep himself from shaking.

Yes – he remembered this place, too. The images weren't especially vivid anymore, but there'd been something…some reason that he used to go there.

"_Mirka, come out of there! I've told you before not to go in there or the barn without permission! You're messing everything up in there – it _was_ carefully organized! Besides, if the door closes you could end up getting stuck."_

_The light-brown haired boy looked up at the farmer peering down at him through the open entrance angled slightly above him, meeting his gaze from where he sat. He just smiled. "But I like it in here!" He protested. "This barn is where I have the first memories that I can remember, and besides that it's so warm and when I'm down here I can hear the animals above me!"_

_There was a sigh from the man. "…All right…I suppose you can stay down there for a while as long as you keep your things towards the back wall – and don't sneak any food from the crates anymore!"_

_The boy flinched slightly at the last part. "Okay!" He nodded thankfully, before the farmer's face disappeared from the opening._

That's right – the cellar! He'd spent a lot of time there as 'Mirka', he recalled as the scene suddenly reappeared in his memory. He'd been fond of this place.

But…first memories…? What did that mean? He couldn't remember what he'd been thinking when he'd spoken those words anymore.

It did seem like, though…that there was something else about the barn…

Just briefly closing his eyes, he tried to forget who he currently was for a moment, searching for any more memories he'd left behind.

Feeling small and confused…being held against the wall…the touch of a familiar red-haired girl's hand on his face…

He took a sharp gasp, the broken images fading all together as he forced down a cold breath. It was no use. Something had happened here, but that was all he had left in his consciousness. The rest of that memory was gone.

Cooro turned as he suddenly heard movement beside him, realizing that Husky had pulled his scythe-like staff from his belt. The former guard's hands clenched tightly around it, betraying his anger, but he also looked anxious, with a slight tremble to his own form. Senri followed suit, switching into his +anima form as the three hovered outside the door.

They had to go in and confront Catherine now. They had to save Nana. They couldn't wait any longer.

Swallowing hard and clenching his own fists, the dark-haired boy all at once burst open the door, both him and his companions storming in without anymore hesitation. They stumbled to a stop near the center of the old building, frantically glancing around until they caught sight of the black-winged woman watching them from the loft.

Cooro's heart thudded, the boy having to force himself not to step back as he glared up at her.

"Catherine! Where's Nana?" He demanded, trying to make his voice sound as loud and threatening as he could.

"It doesn't matter." Catherine answered casually, not seeming impressed. "If you don't make the bargain, she's not leaving here alive, anyway."

He gritted his teeth. No! There had to be some other way! There…had…to be…

"Cooro! I'm down here! Don't do it! Don't go with her! Forget about me – just get out of here!"

All three of the male +anima looked down, startled by the familiar female voice.

The words seemed to have come from underneath the floorboards… The…cellar…?

"Nana!" Cooro's eyes widened, his chest jolting in relief at just the sound of her voice. "You're alive… You're okay!"

"Just go! All three of you just go!" The girl continued frantically, a sob in her voice as she realized that all three of her companions had spilled into the barn.

"Quiet, girl!" Catherine spat, discretely making the girl fall silent as she briefly increased the intensity of the cold throb pulsating throughout her body, threatening her as the slight blue glow momentarily brightened.

The bat +anima let out a stifled scream, flinching at the deathly chill.

"Nana!" Cooro shrieked back along with Husky, looking down at the floorboards. He had to get her out of there! The floorboards couldn't be that strong anymore… Maybe…if he switched into his +anima form and used his abilities…

"Don't try anything!" Catherine hissed quickly, realizing what he was thinking. "When you become as I am, you become so one with death that you can kill without anything more than a thought." Her voice sounded like venom as the briefly waved her hand in front of them, showing off the dim blue glow.

The crow +anima instantly tensed, instinctively recognizing the link she'd created when he saw the light. All those murders… All the murders where the victims had been found with nothing resembling a fatal injury or reasonable cause of death… Yumea, his lost friend from Taru's gang of miners, and…Niomi…was that how she'd killed them?

"You witch! You monster! You disgusting piece of filth!" He screamed, his voice seething in rage as he glared up at the woman.

He all at once switched into his +anima, instantly sending out a wind blade in her direction as his black wings unfolded.

She ducked down gracefully, the attack whirling over her head and making her hair dance harmlessly as she sent out a weak one of her own, just enough to knock the boy back. He scrambled frantically to the side, but it still connected with his left ribs, sending him stumbling back into Senri.

His older companion held him up, helping him recover his footing as he moved his desperate glare back to the raven +anima.

Catherine's cold, inhuman eyes were venomous. "Maybe I didn't make myself clear… I'm not going to play with your petty little mask! If you resist one more time, the girl drops dead!"

Cooro tensed, feeling his clenched fingers cut into his palms. True anger was something that he didn't normally feel as his human self, and even when he became a monster like her…even when he'd hurt all those people…it wasn't really anger he'd felt. More like a cold, sick hatred, and a horrifying lust for death. This wasn't the same – it was hot, making his whole body sweat as the blood pumped faster through his veins. Perhaps anger was one of the most human of emotions, one that, ironically, she'd helped him reach. He wanted nothing more than to let loose on her. Even if he was outmatched, it didn't matter – he wanted to try, to make her feel his fury and the pain she loved inflicting on others so much.

But… He couldn't…

Nana…

She would…

Cooro fell to his knees, staring at the ground as his frail form trembled. His anger transformed to tears with his fists still clenched, dampening his face as a feeling of hopelessness set in.

He wanted to fight, but if he did, Nana would die. She would die because of him. But, if he couldn't fight…what else could he do?

Looking pleased, Catherine spread her wings, finally ascending down from the loft. She stood and faced him, her eyes as icy as ever. "What's your decision? Will you surrender that delusion of humanity you cling to, or let the girl die and rot in that cellar?"

"…I…" Cooro sputtered weakly, his damp, terrified eyes set blankly on the floor.

His gaze snapped up as Husky unexpectedly charged forward, blade outstretched as he rushed the witch. He aimed it for her neck, slashing it towards her until he suddenly felt a wind blade smack him in the chest, sending him flying against the wooden wall with dull thud.

"Husky!" The dark-haired boy screamed, as Senri hurried over to their companion's side.

He was alive, and still conscious, but there was blood seeping from under his shirt, the former guard giving a painful groan as he struggled to get back up.

"Do not interfere!" Catherine spat, glaring at him and Senri. "I _will_ kill you! I'll kill you both!" She screamed, her cold, demon eyes seething with an almost human-like anger. She raised a palm, sending out another sharpened rush of air that smacked against Senri's shoulder and sent him to floor alongside his other injured companion, before raising her arm back for another attack.

"Stop it! _Stop_! Please stop!" Cooro cried desperately, making her forfeit her second strike as she turned back to her target.

"Don't hurt them… Don't hurt Nana… I…" He hesitated, feeling a couple more salty drops of water drip down his cheek. "I…I'll do it." His whole body went cold as he spoke those words. "I'll do it! Do whatever you want with me! I don't care! Just let them all go!"

The glint in Catherine's eyes changed. "Very well. I couldn't care less what happens to them once they are no longer in my way." Something that almost looked like a genuine smile appeared at the edges of her lips. "Come to me, then. Let me wipe those tears off your face forever."

"Cooro! No!" Nana screamed from her place beneath the floor boards, unable to hold her tongue anymore. "Don't! Just run with Husky and Senri – leave me here! Don't become something as disgusting and horrible as her! Not for my sake! I don't want that!"

The boy hesitated, looking down at the floor in the direction the voice had come from. "Nana… I'm…so sorry… For everything…I'm so sorry…" Reaching upwards, he untied the knot that held the scarf she'd made around his neck. Taking it in his hands, he moved it over a gap where he'd heard her voice below, dropping it and letting it fall to the cellar.

"Cooro…" Nana sobbed as she caught it, clenching it in her fingers. "You promised me… You promised me! You promised me, remember! You said that we'd get rid of Catherine, and that we'd be together! You said we'd be happy! You…promised me!" She wailed, her voice rising in desperate hysterics. What was she doing? She already knew that she would die if he defied that witch. She already knew that their naïve promise had been shattered, but she couldn't stop the tears from coming. "Even…even if you can't save me, don't do this! I don't want to be what helped her destroy you!"

The boy didn't say anything for a moment, still looking down in the direction of the cellar through his watery vision as her voice stung his chest. "I…wanted to keep that promise more than anything… But…I was dreaming. …This is my fault. Everything! It's my fault, all of it! Please…forgive me…"

He fought back a sob as he moved his gaze back up, not answering this time as she called out his name again. He forced himself to walk towards Catherine, falling to his knees in front of her with water still streaming down his cheeks and his whole figure trembling.

A strange brightness in her cold eyes, Catherine bent down, making the boy flinch as she placed a hand on his damp face.

"Don't worry – the pain won't last much longer now." She assured, before leaning in closer to whisper in his ear. "And you may not remember, but you made some promises to me, as well. You know what this place is, don't you? This is where we first became a part of the human world. Where you forgot about those promises. Where you became what you are now. This is where your struggle started, and where it will finally end. It's not so easy to break a promise to me."

Cooro felt like he could hardly breathe, his eyes stretched wide. He had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. Where they first became a part of the human world…? Promises…? If he'd once had memories like that, they were gone. But he could feel the haze rip through his head with her closeness, the demon inside of him eating away at his human consciousness even with the pendant flaring wildly at his chest. As soon it got taken off…

He forced himself to stay there, pushing away the cries of his three companions as Catherine reached for the chain around his neck.

"_No_!" Nana cried again, her wings beating as she pressed herself up against one of the floor's gaps, trying desperately to see what was happening. It…couldn't end like this. Not now! Not after everything they'd said to each other! Not after everything they'd survived! Not after how hard they'd fought!

Cooro instinctively took a few steps back, unable to keep himself from gasping and moving away as the black-winged woman tried lifting the pendant up. Shaking, he forced himself to stop, using every bit of restraint he had to make himself stay still as she came back up to him, clasping her hands around the chain again.

Nana's eyes widened, though, as she realized where Catherine was now standing.

Just above her hung the pitchfork, the sharp, rusted object dangling precariously from the old supply board.

Suddenly remembering the slingshot and rocks she'd hidden from her in her pocket, she frantically reached for it and aimed through the gap, trying to steady her shot with her shaking hands.

A rock all at once shot up through the crack in the floor, flying up and splintering the old board that held the barn supplies into two as they came crashing down with a loud clang.

Catherine shrieked in agony, not having time process what happened as a sharp pain unexpectedly tore down her back. She let go of the pendant as she instinctively recoiled, falling backwards onto what she realized was a pool of blood a moment later.

Behind her, next to a pitchfork and other fallen farm supplies, was a mess of crimson and torn flesh, staining the wooden floor of the barn red.

In the mess, partially stuck to the pitchfork, was a black wing – the dismembered, feathered limb covered in crimson.

Catherine's eyes widened in horror and shock as she comprehended what she was looking at.

The pitchfork had scraped the surface of the whole left side of her back off – including one wing.

She'd lost a wing. Her left wing was gone.

There was still one remaining. As long as it stayed that, she would still get a new body if her current vessel died, and she would still have access to her power. But one of her wings was gone. She was a step closer to losing her power completely. Even if she got a new body, she would never get it back.

She would never fly again.

There was a brief, shocked silence. Cooro's mouth was agape from where he watched a few feet over, stunned, and not quite comprehending what'd just happened aside from the fact that the pendant was still around his neck. Nana's gaze stretched wide, the girl hardly able to believe what she'd just done.

Catherine's eyes burned with absolute, deadly hatred as the realization of what'd happened fully hit her, the woman spitting out a shrill, terrifying scream. "Wretched girl! Filthy human! Die! _Die_!"

She all at once raised the brightness of the blue glow that was still around her hand, this time making Nana let out an agonized scream as the cold throb abruptly closed in and threatened to consume her.

"_Nana_!" Cooro shrieked, brought out of his shock as she cried out. Instinctively, he raised a hand himself, feeling a chilled shiver creep up his spine as a slight azure glow began to appear around his own palm.

The girl's wail ceased as the icy pulse backed off, a few seconds passing before Cooro realized that the light had disappeared from around Catherine's hand and had completely reappeared on his.

Her eyes stretched even bigger in dismay, the witch passing him a disbelieving look. He'd been able to cancel her power and replace it with his own, even with his human mind? She'd been underestimating him. Even if his mind was distorted, his skill truly was returning to him. And now her threat was gone. She had nothing else to bargain with.

She'd lost. Even in this place, where'd he first forgotten himself and rested in her mercy, she'd lost.

A slight smile appearing on his dampened face, Cooro immediately dismissed the azure glow, making it disappear from both him and Nana.

He turned back to Catherine, taking the chance to send a wind blade her way as she struggled to get back up.

For the first time, he hit her, knocking her back down as she let out a painful cry. The witch barely managed to dodge a second attack, ducking down below it once more.

She couldn't fight like this. Not with the wound on her back.

Husky and Senri, who'd been watching wide-eyed from their places by the wall, also took the opportunity, forcing themselves up as they rushed her.

Using the strength she had left, Catherine sent out a wave of flames as large as she could muster, knocking all three back as the heat washed over them.

"I won't die this easily!" She announced, her voice strained in pain and hatred. "I will take my brother back! I'll kill that miserable girl! I won't let anyone stop me again!"

She spun her gaze directly to Cooro, her icy eyes glaring into his. "You will keep your promise to me. We both came to this world because we hated humans. Because we wanted to teach them death. Because what wanted to get rid of the stain that makes this world imperfect. The power we each had alone wasn't enough – we had to merge it together to create enough strength to make ourselves part of this world. We had an agreement. Now what we have left over in us is weak, it's useless – we can't access the full extent of our abilities unless we both do at once. You swore it would be fine – you said we'd stay and use it together. Now you're keeping the power that I shared with you away from me!"

The boy just stared at her from where he was, still on the floor from the last assault. Her words just seemed like words – he had absolutely no memories to go along with what she was saying. Something that he'd agreed to before he'd taken a human form? That was different than the memories he had from different bodies. Such memories truly didn't exist in his mind anymore – he'd become human enough in that regard, at least. But that didn't change the cold, determined spite in Catherine's inhuman eyes.

Realizing that she could no longer take to the air for her get away, she quickly pushed herself to her feet regardless of the pain running down her back, darting passed the three +anima as she left the old barn before they managed to get back up.

Cooro watched her leave with a distant gaze, momentarily caught in a trance until the voice of his silver-haired companion shook him from his thoughts.

"She's gone." The former guard commented quietly as he got to his feet beside Senri, as if he couldn't quite believe it himself.

That's right – for now, at least, she was gone. She was gone, and he was still himself. Nana was still alive.

A smile appeared on his face in spite of himself.

"Nana! She's gone!" He chimed, pushing himself up and running towards the cellar doors. "She's gone!"

Moving away the bar that held the doors shut, he gave them a pull, struggling to get the rusty entrance to move until he felt a push against them from the other side.

Nana rushed through the exit as soon as the doors swung to reveal the familiar figure of the dark-haired boy, locking him in an embrace as she trembled. Unable to get her tongue to work, all she could do was weep, her sweaty fingers clasped tightly around his shirt as she felt his shaking arms wrap around her.

* * *

Cooro and Nana sat on the edge of one of the beds in the room they'd ended up renting, with Husky and Senri gathered nearby in chairs they'd moved closer.

With a bandage of his own around his chest, the former guard finished tying off one he'd wrapped around his oldest companion's shoulder, before turning next to Nana.

She was a mess – her hair and clothes were unusually filthy and torn, and her skin was covered in grime and dust. And that was without the wounds. Husky sighed, scanning them over as he pulled out more bandages from a bag positioned by his chair. It looked like she'd been punched just above the ribs, and her whole body was marred with scrapes and bruises.

Deciding to start with a scratch on one of her arms, Husky gestured for her to hold it out, carefully cleaning and wrapping a bandage around it.

"Heh. This reminds me of when we would return to camp after a battle when I was with the Astar guards." He commented, trying to break the silence in the room. "I was one of the most successful at the first aid training they gave to recruits, so a lot of times this ended up being my job." That was why he was the one bandaging their wounds now – he wasn't bad at it, but they would still need to see a doctor once they got back the fortress again.

The former guard fell quiet once more, though, as he got no response. Instead, he glanced around to each of this companions. They all looked exhausted, the young man knowing that he wasn't any exception himself.

Once the initial excitement of Catherine's retreat had worn off, the group had become unusually silent – all of their shaken thoughts elsewhere. Cooro shuffled his feet, as if feeling slightly uncomfortable. He was still trembling, and so was Nana. Both of their gazes were tired and distant, but they each had a hand entwined between them. The silver-haired boy couldn't help but smile a bit as he looked up at them, though.

At least, all of them were still there.

It felt weird to see them together, and it left him with a slight tinge of emptiness. But in an odd sort of way…he supposed they did seem to suit each other. Forcing his eyes back down, he tied off the bandage on her scrape, before a reddish mark underneath it caught his eye.

"…This looks like a burn." He remarked, noticing more similar marks all over body now – even her face – as he looked up again. They were faded a bit, as if they'd been inflicted a while ago, but definitely there. "They're all over you! What happened?"

Nana moved her arm away. "…That was from when I first ran into Catherine before she made me sleep…back at the fortress."

No one else said anything, but Husky noticed Cooro tense, clenching his free hand into a fist again.

Silently moving on to a few scrapes on her other arm, the girl slowly lifted her hand up from the crow +anima's, wincing a bit as she let the former guard wrap a bandage around a still tender wound.

Cooro got up a moment later, shakily getting to his feet.

"Umm…I'm going to go for a quick walk. I'll be back soon." He announced, drawing the gazes of his three companions.

"…What?" Nana sputtered, surprised. It was obvious that he still hadn't recovered from the conflict earlier. "Wait…I'll go with you, then."

"You need to rest…" The dark-haired boy reminded quietly. "I'll be right back, okay? Catherine's gone, so there's nothing to worry about now."

"But you need to rest, too!" She protested. "After everything earlier…"

"And you still need to have your wound bandaged." Husky added, piping up as he briefly paused on Nana's.

Cooro tried to force a smile. "It's okay – she purposely made her attack weak, it barely scratched me. I just want to go out for a little while before it gets dark. I'll be back soon." He repeated, before turning and heading out the door of their room.

Nana sighed as it closed, her eyes set distractedly down on the scrape being wrapped.

"Maybe he just needs sometime to unwind…" Husky suggested, finishing with the bandage and moving on to another scratch.

The young woman reluctantly nodded.

* * *

Cooro looked down at the familiar sea shell in his hands, briefly closing his eyes as he struggled to keep them from watering.

He'd gone back to the now empty barn, down to the cellar where he'd spent so much time as 'Mirka'. His abandoned belongings looked like they'd recently been touched, including a slingshot that'd been left on the ground. Most likely it'd been Nana – his old boxes had probably been where she'd found it. Thank goodness she had! Otherwise, right now, he'd be…

The crow +anima gave a bittersweet smile. In a way, 'Mirka' had helped protect them.

Using his boot, he kicked up the soil in front of the charred, stone pedestal where he now stood, having put Mirka's abandoned things away one last time and left the barn.

The shell he'd taken had been the one he'd recognized from the scene on the beach he'd recalled earlier. It was damaged now – a part of its edge had started to crumble, and it'd lost its sheen, but it wasn't hard to imagine it looking like it had when he'd found it so many years ago. Even though many of his memories as Mirka were faded, he still felt a lump in his throat as he looked at the small, broken shape.

Bending down near the grim pedestal where his first human life had ended, he placed the shell on the ground, inside the hole he'd dug with his foot.

Mirka needed to rest now. All of them did.

Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a small, aged notebook. Tilah's journal. He stared at it a moment, unable to stop tears from escaping his eyes.

_I'm sorry, Elizabeth… I'm so sorry… I swear, I won't let our tragedy repeat itself._

Dragging his gaze away, he gingerly placed the notebook next to the shell with shaking hands.

Cooro felt the edge of a sad smile on his lips as he started pushing soil back over the hole, absently wiping his cheeks as he buried the shell and the journal that both contained sweet and sad memories.

He would never forget them – the images and faces from the lives he'd left behind would haunt him forever, but he couldn't let the past control him anymore. That was what Catherine wanted. That was why she'd led him here.

"Cooro! There you are."

The boy lifted up his gaze, turning it behind him at the sound of the bright female voice. He recognized who it was instantly.

"Nana…?" He started as he quickly tried to dry his eyes, surprised. "What're…?"

The girl frowned a bit. "I was just… It's almost sunset…I was starting to get worried…"

Cooro smiled slightly. Even though he hadn't been expecting her appearance, seeing her helped lift his spirits back up. Even now, he still wasn't entirely used to having someone else worry. "Sorry…I guess I lost track of time."

Nana gave her head a brief, dismissive shake, trying to return the smile even though her own eyes looked slightly damp. "…Maybe I shouldn't have come, after what happened the last time I got worried and followed you…"

"N…no…you were right back then…" The boy quickly corrected, momentarily caught off guard. "Husky and Senri saved me during the invasion. If you hadn't brought them , I probably would've been killed… And today, I'm still here like I am right now because of you. Thank you! Thank you so much… If you hadn't, I'd be…" His gaze fell. "Everything is my fault." He repeated, his voice starting to shake. "Everyone got hurt because of me… And…you were almost…"

This time Nana's frown deepened, the girl walking closer and kneeling down next to her companion. "I thought I'd already told you to stop saying that. It doesn't make anyone feel better." She reminded gently, trying to catch his downcast eyes.

Cooro just passed her an appreciative smile. "This place… This is where I had my first human life… Right here, this is…where I…" His voice momentarily trailed off as he once again felt the flames that'd long ago blazed on that pedestal lick his feet. "That was why Catherine brought me here. She wanted to make me remember my past and bind me to it. But…I think she actually made me realize that I need to let it go. You're right. I am Cooro – I am myself – regardless of anything else. There's no reason that I need to think the future will end up the same as the past. Thanks to you, I have another chance. She's wounded now, and only has one wing left. I'm going to be the one to seek her out this time, instead of waiting for her to come try to hurt me, you, or anyone else." He decided, trying to make his voice sound as confident as he could. "…Maybe I can still keep my promise."

Nana put a confident smile on her own face as she wiped her green eyes. "…I'm sure of it! In reality, you're stronger than she is. We all are. Having a human heart isn't always a weakness."

"…I was so scared…" Cooro admitted, his gaze falling downward again. "I really thought everything as it is now was going to end… Before I found you again, before I ended up back with everyone…I didn't really feel like I had anything to lose. But now…I really feel like I am someone again, I have a future that I don't want taken away…" He moved his eyes back up, letting his brown ones meet her green as he gave a smile. "…I was afraid that we would never get to be together like this again…"

Nana moved a hand up, placing it on his face as she unexpectedly pressed her lips against his.

Cooro's whole body instantly tensed with a hot shiver, his cheeks flushing a deep, bright red. He gasped as she slowly pulled away, his eyes disbelieving and wide. "…I…" He sputtered with unsteady breath, completely stunned.

Nana just smiled, her own face just as red and almost as surprised looking as his. "I…I was scared, too." She started, trying to steady her breathing. "But we're together right now. That's something, isn't it?"

Cooro blinked a moment longer, before giving a nod. Cautiously, he moved his hot face closer to hers again, until he could once again feel her soft lips against his.

Even if it was only a moment, it was theirs. One that would be theirs forever and that no one else could ever take away. It was both something to fight for, and something that, regardless of what could happen, would always remain and bind a part of them together.

* * *

…_Well, chapter twenty-one comes to a close with Catherine short one wing and Cooro and Nana having had their first kiss!_

_As a note…this fic is getting fairly close to its finale. There will probably be a couple more chapters after this, plus an epilouge._

_Stay tuned, though, and please review!_


	23. Chapter Twenty Two: Vengeance And Regret

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_Gak! How long has it been since I last updated this? Nevermind...I don't want to know X3 Writer's block can be a real pain...I'm sorry about huge wait.  
_

_Regardless, enjoy the twenty second, and actually what turned out to be the semi-final, full chapter!  
_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two: **Vengeance And Regret**  
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* * *

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Hearing the wood creak beneath their feet, Cooro and the others slowly made their way across the large, branching dock. It was huge, with turnoffs in all directions as they continued down the main path of the sturdy wooden platform. It extended over the water, but it was fenced with intricately designed railings, and anchored to the seabed below by beams. Colorful flags were held by poles on the railings, decorated by draped seaweed and seashells as voices sounded all around the area.

Cooro gave an absent, bittersweet smile, recalling what the docks had been like in Willowind when they'd been there. In the past, he'd spent years in both this town and Willowind, and, during the time he'd spent in them, both port villages had been similar, but now this thriving, bustling resort was nothing like the dying village where he'd found the pendant that now hung from his neck. Time had been much kinder to it.

As they continued, the boats docked on the branching paths of the marina became larger and larger. Just ahead were the places where the main ships were docked – the ships that did more than give tours or ferry around the area. Before they could reach them, though, a man in official looking attire stopped them.

"Passengers only beyond his point. If you're planning on boarding a ship, I need to see tickets." The man stated casually, clearly relatively board with his job.

Husky was the first to speak next. "Actually, we were looking for someone who we got separated with, and we were wondering if she's already left or not. A girl who's about nineteen, with waist-length dark hair. She was injured, last time we saw her. Have you seen anyone like that board a ship recently?"

"Hmm…?" The man blinked in surprise, scratching his chin momentarily as he tried to recall. It wasn't often that he was asked such a request. He wasn't really supposed to give out information about passengers, but these people needed to know if they'd missed someone they were supposed to met, didn't they? He supposed there wasn't any harm in that. "Well actually, there was a strange girl who arrived last evening. It seems like she fit your description – a young lady with black hair. And she was definitely hurt! We couldn't tell exactly what was wrong, but there was blood seeping through the back of her shirt, and she didn't look very good. The crew of the boat she wanted to board didn't really want to let her on – there're no doctors on the ships, you see – but she wouldn't hear of it! She had one creepy stare, you should've seen the way she glared at me when I suggested she have the hospital look at her first! There was a bit of a ruckus, but eventually I do think she got the ride."

Cooro abruptly stepped forward, surprised. Yes. That was definitely her! "What ship did she get on? Where was she going?" He asked, his urgency seeming to take the official off guard for a moment.

The man paused, trying to recall. "Astar…I believe."

Cooro tensed, his eyes widening. As…tar…

He fell silent, his mind momentarily drifting off as horrible memories washed over him. He heard screaming, his clothing sticky with blood and crimson dripping from his wings as he stalked through the hallways of the prison building. People begged for their lives, pushing themselves hard against the walls as he approached with a smile on his face, looking up at him with terrified, pleading eyes. And then he…

Cooro gasped, feeling sickness wash over him at the memories of what had taken place there. Astar. The place where he'd murdered all those officers.

The man was giving him a strange look, having noticed the shift in his expression, but he couldn't quite find his breath quick enough to say anything. Nana instead stepped toward the dock worker, looking a bit taken aback by the location herself. "When does the next ship to Astar leave?" She asked. "We really need to meet up with her."

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that the next ship heading towards Astar doesn't depart from here for another couple of weeks. With all the chaos going on there, they've limited the amount of ships that they allow to dock. We can't run them that often right now, and you'll probably hear a similar story everywhere else…" The dockworker explained, sounding a bit frustrated himself.

Nana frowned, dismayed. "I…see…" She passed her companions a frown. "Well…thank you, anyway. You're probably right, but maybe we'll try our luck somewhere else." She smiled politely, before turning to leave. The others followed her, the four of them heading back towards the sidewalks of the shore. Maybe they shouldn't have let themselves rest for that night in the inn…

Only a single night had passed since their conflict with Catherine.

Cooro sighed, feeling the warmth of the pendant as it dangled against his chest. The witch had run off afterwards, but he hadn't been quite sure as to where. When he'd awoken that morning, her presence had already felt surprisingly far off, and he hadn't been able to pinpoint in which direction exactly she'd been traveling. They'd decided to try the port, figuring that she might've taken a ship. They'd been right, apparently, but they'd also been too late… He wasn't as good at tracking as she seemed to be, with the way she could hunt him down anywhere. But this time he was the one doing the hunting…

The young man absently looked down at his hands as he walked. This felt so strange… He wasn't looking for her just for a friendly meeting, as they'd tried to play off to the man, he was looking for her to _kill_ her.

He'd already stained those hands with blood years ago. Throughout the ages, and even during the years he'd lived out in this body, he'd stolen the lives of countless of people. Yet he somehow still felt a horrible weight in his stomach. Dread. He'd killed so many innocents, and he'd done so with a smile on his face, yet now that the situation had turned in his favor he felt guilt about hunting this one person down. This one person who'd murdered so many others in cold blood. The one person he hated more than anyone else.

…Maybe it was that during all those times when he'd hurt others, he hadn't been himself. At least, not the 'himself' that he was right now. He'd resolved to find Catherine and finish this before she had time to recover, but if he completed his goal, it would be the first time he'd killed with his human self being the one controlling his actions, he realized. Any innocence he had left would instantly be broken.

But…

He glanced back up to his companions, looking at their familiar faces as he tried to smile. He wasn't doing it only because of his anger. He wasn't doing it only for himself. If he got rid of her, he'd be saving so many other lives as well. She'd never hurt anyone again. And…if he finally became free from the demon inside of him that squirmed under her presence, he wouldn't hurt anyone like that ever again, either… At the cost of one evil life, he'd be saving so many others… It…wasn't something so bad, was it…? He was…still different than her.

Cooro bit his lip. He still didn't understand how someone who'd killed so many could still feel dread about stalking one horrible person like her. In some ways, he really was different than the haze that haunted the edges of his consciousness.

He looked back up, his eyes falling on Nana as he remembered what the black-winged woman had done to her. He was doing this for her, too. For all of them. He wouldn't let her hurt them anymore. If he didn't stop her, she would come after them again. And she would continue to forever, even if the bodies they were in perished and rotted. She would never stop. She'd already chased him through six other lifetimes, and she would chase him through however many more it took. He had no other option. There was no other way. This is…what he had to do.

"Astar…huh…? Why would she go to a place like that?"

The crow +anima looked up at the sound of his silver-haired companion's mumbled voice, pulled out of his thoughts. "She probably doesn't think I'd follow her there… After I…after what happened before, if I go there now, I'll probably be…" After what he'd done, he was sure there was a bounty on his head. And that was where the guards were the likely to be on the highest alert for him. Many of them had probably known the people he'd killed…they'd probably be hungry for revenge. Catherine herself wasn't innocent in the tragedy, but he'd been the death row prisoner who'd escaped. If he went there, he'd have to face the aftermath.

Husky was silent for a moment, before eventually nodding. "I suppose that makes sense…she probably realizes that you're going to try and take advantage of her injuries. I guess she thinks she's safer there, where they'll be other people after you. …That'll probably include Captain Joseph, if he's back at the city yet."

Cooro didn't say anything, his eyes still set slightly on his silver-haired companion. He'd served as a guard in Astar for years after the four of them initially split up, under a man called Captain Joseph. He wondered if his old friend had known any of the people he'd killed that day in Astar… He was exiled from them now – now that the guards knew that he was a +anima – but even though he said that he hated the other guards for what they'd been doing to +anima, he figured that it was unrealistic to assume that he had no attachments left to any of them whatsoever. Going back would probably be painful for him, too…

Nana passed him a glance, pain visible in her green eyes, as well. She could recall the way the place had reeked of blood, as well, and still remember the way her companion's gaze had shifted – the way he'd become a monster. Not things that she wanted to think about. "What do you want to do?" She asked, gently taking the boy's hand as she came up beside him.

"I…" Cooro sputtered for a moment. "I…have to go. If I don't, I could lose my opportunity forever…"

"Then what about that captain we rode with before…?" The girl suggested, though her eyes had fallen away from his a bit. "You know, the person that Meora knew. Maybe we can get him to take us to Astar again if we pay him. We could probably sneak in that way."

Husky and Senri had originally rode with an acquaintance of the woman's when they'd gone searching for the two of them in Astar before, and all four of them had ridden with him back until they'd arrived at Willowind. Even after that, the captain had taken all the rest of the refugee +anima to the fortress. Perhaps he wouldn't mind giving the trip one more go.

Husky nodded eagerly. "That's right! For a price, he was perfectly willing to go before. We could give that a try."

Nana nodded. "But where can we find him?" Neither her nor Cooro had been there when they'd originally hired him before.

The former guard shrugged. "I'm not sure. I don't think he has a main dock. He was just at some random beach not too far from the fortress when we met him last time."

"…Meora…" Senri suggested, getting a nod out of the fish +anima.

"Right. Maybe it'd be best to try talking to her first, like last time. She's probably still back at the fortress, so she shouldn't be hard to find." Husky concluded, figuring that if she had once, she might know of the captain's whereabouts again.

It was decided, the group leaving the resort behind as they once again headed back towards the fortress.

* * *

There was still rubble alongside the outside edge of the fortress, the once almost perfect looking cliff now ravaged and torn. There were people all around the damage, though, many of the +anima officials working hard at external repairs as they approached. Cooro spotted Kazana and Lucia, the girl he'd teamed up with for a short while during the fight, hard at work. She noticed him as they passed, giving a brief wave that he returned as the +anima group headed for the main entrance to the building.

Before the foursome could enter it, though, they suddenly realized that someone was approaching. Nana blinked, looking over at the winged figure as it flew down from the cliffs. "Kazana?" He'd noticed them and was heading down towards them now. It was the first time she'd seen him in a while. She hadn't seen the eagle +anima they'd briefly known as children since before she was originally captured and taken to Astar. It really had been a long time since she'd seen the fortress in relative peace.

The eagle +anima just nodded as he landed. "I'm glad to see you're safe, miss." Reaching down into a bag at his belt, the officer dug around a bit before pulling something out. "Actually, you're the reason I came down here. When I saw you, I remembered that I was supposed to give you this." He held out the object.

It was a letter.

The girl passed him a confused look.

"I received it from one of my scout parties a while back." He explained, noticing her bewilderment. "Apparently, they tried to stop at a store in some far off, little orchard village. It was closed and empty, so they said that they tried to spend the night there only to be found out by some men that came by in the morning, angry. They ended up using their +anima for defense, but apparently when they did the men stopped and asked them if they knew about this fortress. They gave them this letter and told them that they knew a bat +anima girl named Nana who they thought might've come here. They were asked to give this to her, if there was such a girl there. They weren't sure who you were, so they ended up just passing this letter on to me. I forgot about it until I saw you coming back with the others now."

Nana stared at him in surprise. A small village with a store and an orchard? Could it be from…? But those men that she used to work with under Niomi had given her partial blame for her murder – they'd wanted nothing to do with her! She stared down questioningly at the unopened letter as she took it, feeling her heart suddenly start fluttering as she wondered what was inside. She hadn't given that old store or village any thought for a long time now…

"Anyway, I'm glad to see you're all okay, but I need to get back to work." Satisfied, Kazana bid them farewell and headed back up to continue working on repairs.

Cooro passed the bat +anima a surprised glance. "A…letter? Do you think it could be from…?"

Nana just nodded, figuring that he was thinking the same thing that she was. "It's probably from the people I used to work with back at my old village…" She paused, somehow feeling nervous. What could they want? The whole thought of the place brought back bad memories. Apparently, though, they'd been pretty desperate to get it to her. "…I'll open it later." She eventually decided, simply stuffing it in the pocket of her dress. She didn't want to deal with those memories right now.

Instead, she forced a smile. "Let's get going, then!"

Her three male companions passed her another glance, but eventually, the foursome finally entered the tunnels of the fortress.

From inside, it was hard to believe the carnage and crimson that had tainted the hallways less than a week ago.

Even though the governments attack – Astar's attack, that name seemed to bare with it so much tragedy – had caused so much pain and loss, the +anima of the fortress seemed to be fairing well.

There was still grief haunting the stone hallways, but the faces of almost all of the +anima they'd passed bore smiles. There was some hope in the place, too. Even though the fight had brought misfortune, it'd also been a victory on their side. There were whispers that the war between the Astarian government and the +anima was about to come to an end, in their favor.

A couple of +anima – faces Cooro didn't recognize – waved to him as they walked by, making the boy smile a bit in spite of himself. He'd had a hand in that victory – at least he had one thing to be proud of. Most of the +anima were a little leery of him, but they almost all recognized him, now. Before, after Nana was taken, he'd spent most of the time sulking in his room without really noticing, but now he could definitely tell that a lot of eyes were on him.

"Wow…you're like a celebrity…" Nana moved her gaze over to him as well, looking a bit surprised. Of course, he realized. This was the first time she'd seen the fortress since the fight. Everything looked so different now. "I'm glad this place seems to have recovered, though." She smiled. "It was awful before…" Her lips downturned just a bit, images returning to her from what she'd seen during the attack. Though she'd been captured before the conflict had ended, she she'd still seen enough to haunt her now.

The young man nodded, his own mind wandering until he suddenly realized they were just about at Meora's room. She was the +anima woman he'd grown close to after Husky, Senri, and Nana had first separated from him back in Iseem, and he'd visited her a few times before in the fortress, so at least finding it wasn't an issue.

"Oh, here it is!" He stopped at one of doors as they approached it, giving it a knock.

No one answered.

How strange. Was she out somewhere else right now? Wanting to know for sure, he cautiously creaked the door open a crack.

The woman was indeed there, sitting silently in one of the chairs inside the small stone room. She blinked as the door opened, as if realizing that someone was there for the first time. She looked even more surprised when she realized it was him, her eyes briefly widening. "Oh…hello, child." She gave just a trace of a small smile on her melancholic lips.

"Meora…?" Cooro stuttered, taken aback – he'd never seen her look quite that way. He gave a worried frown. He'd once thought of the woman as something like a grandmother. Even though he lacked that intense closeness now, he still felt concern at the sight of her like that. She wasn't herself. "Is something wrong?"

The woman just shook her head, clearly trying to shove away the melancholy in her gaze. "No…I'm just fine." She gave a kind grin. "Please, come in."

Her smiled widened, seeming to become just a bit more genuine, as she saw Nana enter the room alongside the others. "Oh, you're all right! I'm so glad."

"Thank you, it's good to see you." The girl returned the grin. She'd met Meora several times before, and got on rather well with the woman. Apparently, she'd found out about the way she'd been missing after the fight, too – the news had probably gotten around due to Cooro's recent jump in popularity.

Meora gave a slight, disbelieving snort. "Nah, I'm sure I'm quite boring to young ones like you!" There was a slight joking tint to her voice, the woman seeming to have perked up a bit. "What is it that really brings you four here?"

"It really is good to see you." Cooro assured, smiling. "But we were wondering about the man that you hired to help rescue us before. Do you think we could possibly pay him to do one more job?"

The dark tint instantly returned to Meora's face, the woman looking caught off guard as she fell silent again, not answering for a few moments. Eventually, she just sighed and shook her head. "…He's dead."

"What?" Nana gaped in disbelief, the eyes of each of the four young +anima widening. She hadn't known the captain that well, but he'd been a kind man. When Cooro had first been taken to his ship on the way back from Astar, the other +anima onboard from the guard station had been nervous. They'd made horrible suggestions, but the captain had helped protect him. And he'd made their journey as comfortable as possible, even going a bit out of his way when he'd dropped them off at Willowind. Was he really…gone?

The older woman just nodded slowly. "He was killed during Astar's raid. I was with him…I managed to escape, but he didn't. He was human…but apparently his crime of ferrying the escaped +anima…and the perpetrator of the guard station murders…" She passed a quick, unusually cold glance up at Cooro, her eyes briefly changing, before she forced her gaze to soften again. She…knew? The captain must've told her at some point, either that or she'd heard it from the attacking guards themselves. "Was punishable by death." She finished, her gaze falling downcast.

Cooro felt an ache in his chest. The captain had died because he'd been hired to come rescue them. If it hadn't been for their interference, the man would still be alive…was that another death he needed to feel guilty about? "I'm…so sorry…"

Noticing his own eyes start to fall, and the dejected look on each of the younger +anima's faces, Meora looked up again. "It's not your fault. It's not the fault of any of you. Jake knew what he was doing when he took the job, and it was his choice to carry all of the escaped +anima back. Even though it caused problems, he was proud of what he'd done. It's not your fault."

As she finished, her eyes were set directly on Cooro. He could see it now. The warmth she'd always had in her eyes for him had faded a bit, tinted with slight suspicion, but she didn't say anything, obviously pushing it back.

"But…it's so strange, isn't it?" The woman continued, looking down again as she slumped in her chair, her eyes now obviously somewhere else besides that small room as distance crept into them. "All those years…I knew him back when I was just a child myself. My Jake…I… I think I loved him. But I never told him. We passed the decades living alongside each other, but I never told him. I don't know why I never did…I was content in a way. But now that he's gone, this old woman still feels those words on the tip of her tongue. Words that I wont ever be able to tell him now. Even after all those years that I could've, now it's too late. At least…in this lifetime…"

She finished with a sigh, realizing that her audience had fallen completely silent. "I'm sorry…I should spare you kids my sad stories. You're too young to have to worry about such things. …Where was it that you wanted my Jake to take you?"

"A…Astar…" Cooro was the one to eventually answer, suddenly feeling awkward and sad under her grief.

Meora's gaze quickly flicked with a surprising fire, the woman looking right back up to the four younger +anima again. "Then allow me to take you in his place. His boat is still tied up to a dock not far from here, empty. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I kept it company."

"What…but Meora! You…" The boy sputtered, stunned at her sudden shift.

"Oh, don't give me that. Just because I'm getting on in years, doesn't mean this +anima can't hold her own. There are some advantages to being one of the few to keep your +anima into old age." Claws suddenly extended from her fingertips, the woman flexing them to prove her point. "I don't know what business you have in that horrible place, but _I_ want _revenge_."

Nana's eyes widened, such words sounding strange coming out of the older woman's mouth. "But…it's not just one or two guards there! Who knows what we'll be seeing! You shouldn't – "

"Nonsense!" Meora declared. "I'm going and that's that. I've already made up my mind." She decided, a fiery determination reappearing in her eyes. Her lips upturned just a bit. "Now, are you going, or not?"

Cooro blinked a few times, but eventually nodded, knowing there was no way to talk the stubborn woman out of it. The other three reluctantly did the same, Nana receiving a hard glare from the woman as she opened her mouth to protest a last time. She sighed, giving up.

"All right, then!" Meora declared. "With no one else to wait for, I say we get going as soon as you're ready."

With that, the group of four headed back to their own room to gather their things. This would be a long trip, but there was no point in putting it off. The longer they waited, the less chance they had at success.

Cooro, though, lingered in the back, leaning against the wall with his eyes distant as his companions busily went about packing.

"_Sister…it sounds like it's screaming…I don't like it…" Mirka explained timidly, huddled near the fireplace in the old farm house. The farmers were away that evening, off doing sales in another nearby village, but it was windy, with the air screeching as it rushed by, harshly scrapping at the walls._

"_Stop it." The red-haired girl scolded, not looking up from where she sat with her eyes transfixed on the fire. "It's only the wind, that's all. It'll pass soon. Don't be such a coward."_

_The boy fell silent again, but a few moments later, an especially loud howl sounded from outside, knocking a branch against the outside of the house._

_Mirka flinched, all at once reaching over and digging his fingernails into the girl's shirt, scooting closer as he buried his face in her shoulder, shivering. The girl passed him an irritated glance. "Come on, this is pathetic. Get off." The boy just shook his head in protest, clinging to her tightly._

"_Fine." She eventually sighed, giving in like she always did. "Does it really make you feel better to sit like this?" She passed him down a glance, an odd, almost genuine curiosity in her usually harsh eyes._

_Mirka nodded, holding on even tighter as another gale made the walls vibrate. The girl said nothing in response, but he could swear she scooted in a bit closer herself as he rested his head comfortably on his sister's shoulder, the two of them waiting patiently in front of the fire for the storm to pass._

Cooro clenched his fists, feeling his fingernails dig into his sweaty palms.

He'd put those memories to rest. He'd buried them by the pedestal were Mirka and Sophia had died.

The boy glanced back up at his companion's again, smiling a bit as he watched them, even though he felt an out of place lump in this throat.

He had something precious to him now. Something that he wanted to protect. Despite his guilt, he wouldn't be able to hesitate if they were coming with him. Not when they might be in danger. Once he left, he'd have to follow through with his goal. He was leaving to seek Catherine out and get rid of her, no matter the cost! He couldn't let them down. Not after everything they'd done and sacrificed for him.

"…Cooro? …Are you ready?" Nana came up to him, giving him a slightly concerned look. "Husky and Senri have already started heading back to met Meora."

The crow +anima nodded, quickly trying to knock the distance out of his gaze as he met hers. "Y…yeah… I don't need to take a whole lot. Let's get going."

Nana smiled a bit and took his hand, before suddenly looking down a bit, biting her lip. "…This time…we're really going to get rid of her…aren't we…? And then we can finally be together for real…like normal people? This will all be over after this…right…?"

Cooro blinked, caught off guard. Eventually, he gave a single, sure nod. "Right. Let's end this. I'll keep my promise, I wont let her take it away this time. Not ever again."

Nana grinned, seeming satisfied, though he could still see the uncertainty in her eyes.

That's right. He had to do this, no matter what happened. He had to end this now, once for all. For her sake… For theirs…

"Hey!" Husky's voice suddenly sounded, the former guard irritated as he glanced back in at them from the doorway. "Are you two ever coming?"

Not saying anything else, the two passed each other a last brief glance, before quickly nodding at their companion. They all hurried to where Meora was waiting. There was no turning back now.

* * *

Nana sat at the edge of the familiar ship, letting her feet dangle over the edge. Resting her arms and chin at the railing, she watched her dim reflection in the water as the sun slowly started to fade.

She recalled how often Cooro had come to sit out here in their first voyage back to the fortress, but this time, it was her that felt like she needed some time alone.

Tensing and sitting up a bit, she reached into a pocket, pulling out the letter she'd tucked in there earlier.

She did nothing for a few moments, staring at it hesitantly, before eventually tearing the envelope open with a fingernail.

There were two pieces of paper inside. Careful not to lose the second, she pulled the top sheet out, unfurling it as she strained to read it in the dimming light.

_We're sorry._

She paused there, almost taken aback by the first two words. Sorry…?

_Nana, Niomi's murder shocked us, and so did finding out that you were a +anima at the same time. It was too much to handle, but we were wrong to blame you. We were the ones who called the officers, if you hadn't escaped, who knows what they would've done to you. Again, we're sorry. We've known you since you weren't more than a small girl. I don't know how we would've thought that you were capable of something like that. We were scared, and we wrongfully chose you as a scapegoat for our grief and fear. We didn't understand much about +anima then._

_We don't know where you went, but word has been going around now about some sort of fortress lately. We thought that perhaps that's where you headed. If you're reading this, then it seems we were right. _

_Even though we regret what we did, we don't think that we can ever think of you in quite the same way now as we did before we realized what you were. Perhaps we should apologize for that, too, but I don't think that's something we can change. But regardless, we still respect Niomi's wishes._

_Someone found the will we put in this letter while we were cleaning out her things._

_So far, we haven't reopened the store. None of us really want the responsibility of running it now, but we've been keeping it clean and usable. It'll still be here if you come back someday. _

_Regardless of whether or not you ever do, it's yours._

Nana just stared at the piece of paper as the words ended, her eyes widening a bit.

…Hers? What did they…?

She pulled out the second piece of paper, scanning it over now. A will?

It was Niomi's handwriting, the proper but thick letters achingly familiar as she skimmed the page.

_I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon, but having recently neared my middle ages, I thought it wouldn't hurt to write my wishes down. This is my will. After all, I've done quite well for myself, and wouldn't want everything I've somehow managed to accomplish to die with me if something was to happen to me. It's all far too precious to me for that._

Nana felt her eyes start to water, an ache in her chest as an image of the shopkeeper's face appeared in her mind. Little had the woman known that the will would actually be put to use so soon… It was a line near the bottom that caught her eye, though.

_The store in its entirety goes to Nana Alba. That includes the building itself, the living area, the orchard, and the right to use it for business. I have many capable workers, but I've practically raised her since she was a child. She is the closest thing I've ever had to a child myself, and I can't think of anyone better to take care of the store and continue on for me. She's tried to keep it hidden from me, but I am aware that she is a +anima. I know that might be uncomfortable to some, but please disregard it. It doesn't make her different or less capable than anyone else. She is my heir. Unless she wishes otherwise, it is my wish that everything revolving around the store become hers when my time is over._

The girl just stared at the will, almost in disbelief. She felt her palms tremble, making the paper shake in her hands.

"Niomi… You knew…?" She whispered aloud, as if the woman could hear her.

All that time she'd lived with her, she'd lived in fear of her finding out that she was a +anima. She was afraid that she would be rejected by the person she'd come to look at as a mother if she realized what she really was. She'd always told herself that one day she would tell her, but as things had turned out, she'd never gotten the chance. But…she'd known. The woman had known, and she'd still called her the closest thing she'd had to a child.

Nana felt a sob leave her throat, wiping an elbow across her dampening cheeks as she still held the letter in one hand.

And, on top of that, she'd given her the store.

The place where she'd worked as she'd grown up. The cottage and orchard where she'd lived. Everything. It was all hers.

She could go home. She'd thought that she would never see that place again as she left that night with Cooro, but now it _belonged_ to her. She could go back. The war was still going on, but as soon as it ended, she could return to the familiar store and orchard that she'd been forced to abandon. She could not only continue her old life there, but start a new one with what Niomi had left behind for her.

_It's all mine…_ She repeated the thought in her mind. It still seemed so strange, the girl not quite able to comprehend what that meant, but she smiled a bit, the edges of her lips upturning under the water that was dripping down her cheeks.

She stayed like that a while, only coming out of her thoughts as she heard the door behind her open. She looked back to find that her companions had stepped out onto the deck as well. It was getting late now, they'd probably come looking for her.

Nana just passed them a grin. "It's mine! She gave it to me!" She beamed, giving her eyes another quick wipe.

The three male +anima just gave her a bewildered, slightly startled look.

"The store. The store where I used to work before Niomi was killed. She gave it to me! She left a will saying that I'm the heir to it." She stood up and held out the note, her eyes moving up to their faces.

It was exciting news. Not only the fact that she could continue the business, but that she could go home at all.

But…

Her life had changed so much since then. Was it really "home" anymore?

Staring up at her companion's faces, she thought about it, recalling the familiar scents and sights of the orchard and old wooden cottage that she'd left behind.

Yes. It was. She'd adapted to her life with her old friends, but she still missed it. She didn't have any other home. She still wanted to go back, she realized. But…

"When all of this is over…the war and this thing with Catherine, then you'll all go back there with me, wont you?" She asked, keeping her eyes on the faces of the other +anima.

She wanted to go back, but she didn't want to leave anything else behind now, either. She wanted to go forwards, not backwards. Sometimes home was who you were with as much as where you were, she realized that now, too.

"A…after all, Senri, you'll probably be allowed to return to the toyshop in the next village over after the war is over." She quickly added with a glance at her oldest companion, not wanting to sound selfish.

The bear +anima blinked. "…Home…" He muttered quietly to himself, looking down with thoughtful, almost sad, eyes.

"That's right." Nana nodded eagerly, turning to Husky. "Now that you can't go back to the guards, I'm sure that you could find a job of some sort either there or in my village, too. They were always needing people in the village, anyway, and I don't think either of the two were that expensive to live at. You could probably even get some kind of guard or security job once again after the war, if that was what you wanted."

The boy kept her gaze but didn't say anything in response, though being how he was, the girl took his lack of arguing as at least partial agreement. Satisfied enough, she moved her gaze to Cooro.

"And you can help me run the store!" She grinned. "What Niomi did was a lot of work and I don't know if I could handle it all myself without any real experience at it, but if we both tried, I'm sure we could manage!"

The girl smiled, excited as she tried to piece their futures together in her mind. Now that everything was coming to an end. The war…and now their struggles with Catherine, it seemed, perhaps it was time to start thinking about such things. What would they do when they no longer had the war fortress to go back to? Surely they weren't going to start wandering around aimlessly again like they'd done when they were younger? They were adults now, and they could start repairing the lives of theirs that had been broken without having to lose each other.

"After all, you said that everything with Catherine would be over after this…that everything would be normal now, right…?" She added, her eyes still on the dark-haired boy.

Cooro didn't answer for a moment, still partially stunned. Owning a store, even just partially, was something he'd never even considered. He had no idea how such a business worked. And on top of that, the girl had essentially just asked him to live with her. He took a moment to sort through all of the sudden thoughts. "Right." He eventually nodded, trying to look confident. "I… I have no idea how to run a store, but I would love to go back with you!"

The girl's grin grew even wider. "It's alright. I'll teach you everything I do know! I'm sure it'll work out great."

Eventually, Husky let out a slight sigh. "Okay, we'll see, but don't forget that we're currently on a boat going towards Astar and headed for who knows what right now. First, we need to focus on getting through this, which means that we need to get some rest. I'm going in. You all should, too." He suggested, before turning to head back inside the boat's large cabin.

Nana reluctantly nodded a moment later, realizing that he was right. They all turned to follow, but the girl passed a last, eager grin at her crow-winged companion before she headed off to her bed.

The boy himself lingered a moment longer, watching her go. He didn't know if he'd seen her look so excited before.

It was an exciting thought, he supposed. He felt his own lips upturn just a bit. It seemed like the future he was fighting for was becoming less of an obscure dream and more of a concrete vision all the time. It would be wonderful. However, he felt his anxiety squelch down his own excitement.

First, he had to get rid of Catherine.

He stared off again in the direction Nana had disappeared in, recalling the way her eyes had shimmered.

Now, he had another reason why he couldn't fail.

* * *

Nana and Husky both broke out into laughter, unable to stop themselves as even Senri's lips upturned a bit.

Cooro just frowned, part of the hood that was covering his head slipping off as he instinctively raised his gaze towards them. "…Is it really that funny?"

Nana forced her giggling down, approaching him again as she pulled the hood back up. "Nah. It just really doesn't suit you." She pulled on the strings connected to it while she was at it, struggling to make the hood a bit tighter. "You need it, though, so try to keep your head angled down a bit to keep it from slipping off. That way the shadow covers your face, too."

Cooro was silent for a moment, letting her tie another knot in the strings that were up against his chin. "…You don't think this makes me seem more suspicious?"

He was wearing an old, hooded jacket of Captain Jake's that they'd found on the ship. It was a bit dirty and had a few holes, as well as being overly loose and baggy due to the fact that it was far too big for him, but they'd stumbled across it and had decided to use it to try and keep his face hidden.

After all, they'd be in big trouble if someone spotted him and decided that they needed to finish the execution that he'd escaped from the last time he'd been here.

More than likely, all the guards would be on high alert and heavily armed as well, due to the war…and the recent massacre. If they recognized his face, it could spell danger for all of them.

Nana's amused grin dampened a bit, a slight melancholy returning to her as she recalled the seriousness of their situation and the reason that they had to hide his face to begin with, but she still crossed her arms as she studied him again. "Not really." She answered simply. "Obviously the look doesn't work for you, but a lot of guys dress kind of like this, right? Especially in big cities like this?"

Husky nodded after giving the crow +anima a scan himself. "True. Usually the jackets aren't quite so grimy or old, but it isn't that odd of sight for the capital. I think it'll work alright – it's better than walking around here with your face exposed, anyway. They probably have it on wanted posters and alerts all over town."

Cooro cringed slightly at the thought. Any reminder about what'd happened only a couple of weeks ago was unpleasant.

"Besides, the jacket will keep an extra layer over your markings, too, just in case." The former guard added, noticing that his face had fallen a bit.

"Right." The dark-haired young man eventually answered, absently making sure that the hood and jacket zipper were tight himself.

"Come on, let's just get going already."

The four of them all turned to face Meora at the sound of her voice. She was already standing on the dock, waiting for them near the edge of the ship as she called out without looking back.

Not saying anything else, the group of younger +anima hurried to join her.

They'd made the several day trip to Astar once again.

The thought of what he'd come here to do had weighted heavily on his chest, but the trip itself had actually been enjoyable this time, Cooro thought to himself as he stepped off the ship and onto the dock. They'd finally been able to relax, even if it was just for a little while.

Meora had handled everything to do with the boat – the four of them had to worry about little else than keeping themselves entertained. It was a nice change for once. For a while, it'd been easy to push everything else away. It'd almost seemed like everything was normal. Like they were just a normal group of friends going on some sort of vacation.

But now…the fact that Meora still didn't even turn to face them as the exited the ship was a harsh reminder that that wasn't case.

The slightly forced warmth she'd still shown them at the fortress had diminished more and more during the journey. She hadn't had much to do with them, and had mostly gone about her own business while leaving them to their own devices.

It stung, a bit. Cooro recalled the way he used to rest in her lap while she passed him cookies and told him stories about the past, but now she would hardly even look at him. …What else could he expect, though, now that she apparently knew everything he'd done? He'd explained everything to her himself during the course of the trip. About Catherine. All of it. That'd been the last time she'd really looked him in the eyes.

Not having been able to use the regulated main dock, they'd had to dock their ship on an abandoned one towards the older part of town.

Regardless, there was a lot of activity and bustle as they entered into the streets, coming in from alleys that bordered the coast. It was similar to the resort town they'd just recently left, but the place seemed more regal and less festive. Even in this area, the city had the elegant and lively air that befitted a capital.

"Cooro, is that woman you're looking for still here?" Meora asked, still keeping her gaze straight ahead as she spoke. "Do you know where you need to go? I need to head towards the palace. I need to have my revenge on those that ordered Jake's death…"

"Meora…" He whispered back sadly. They couldn't let her go, not to the castle. She'd get herself killed! But what could they do to talk the stubborn, grief-stricken leopard +anima out of it? Especially now that she wouldn't even turn to face them.

Sighing, he closed his eyes and tried to focus in on the sensation of Catherine's presence. It ached strongly, making the pendant around his neck pulse brightly as the haze that haunted his mind throbbed. She was definitely still here in the city…

He looked up, gesturing forward and to the left. "She's still here, somewhere in that direction. That's…the way to the castle, too." He realized. Good. Obviously, Catherine wouldn't be at the palace itself, but at least if she was in the general area, the four of them could stay with Meora for a while longer.

All the other +anima nodded, the group of five continuing to walk again.

As they kept moving, more towards the center of the city, the hustle and bustle only increased. The streets were well decorated and lined with businesses in large, regal buildings that were a far cry from the street-side stands of the resort town. However, in this area the energy was tainted with a faint sense of unease that dampened the otherwise lively atmosphere. Maybe the political chaos had more of an effect closer to the castle itself…

They'd gotten a few stares as they walked, mostly due to Cooro's oversized jacket and obscured face, but for the most part they'd been able to walk completely freely. Not bad for being wanted criminals.

There were indeed plenty of guards, too. They'd passed many patrols already – groups of well armed men scanning the streets, shops, and alleyways. His heart thudding a bit, the crow +anima subconsciously made sure that the hood was still in place as another walked by.

"We should be nearing the guard station…" Husky commented aloud. He knew this area by heart.

Cooro just nodded. The prison he and Nana had been held at. The place where he'd been supposed to die, and the place where he'd…

It was probably full of guards again, so there was no way Catherine could be there, at least. Thank goodness. He never wanted to see that place again. It would be best to be careful to avoid it altogether.

Being sure not to near it as they continued, the gathering of +anima only stopped as the castle first came into view – its towers reaching far above the roofs of the city's other tall buildings as their dark shapes stood in contrast to the afternoon sky.

"Wow…" Nana gaped, staring ahead at it. "It's beautiful…"

It really was. It looked both strong and ornate, with intricate towers and structures, many windows, and Astarian flags hanging from its smooth stone walls. It looked far too beautiful to believe that it housed the people who'd forced their kind into oppression and war.

"Let's keep moving." Meora prompted once again. "They're getting an unexpected visitor whether they want one or not."

Cooro bit his lip, simply following her as they stared moving again after the younger +anima all exchanged a worried glance.

The crowds only increased as they kept padding down the main street, but everything still seemed to be going fine. Catherine was still a ways a way, it seemed, but still in the right direction. The crow +anima let his gaze rest on his shoes as he walked, traveling near the back of the group as his thoughts slowed down his feet. He didn't what they'd do when they got to castle, but everything seemed fine enough for now.

Although… He lifted his eyes again just a bit, briefly glancing around. He could swear he kept hearing footsteps following theirs… It was hard to tell – there were so many people – but…

All at once, and as if on cue, a small figure suddenly burst from an alleyway as they passed by. It ran right passed him, straight towards Nana from behind. It was obviously headed right for her, and the sunlight caught a silver gleam by its hand.

Cooro's heart abruptly thudded, the boy only have a few moments to react. "Nana! Look out!" He cried, shifting into his +anima without thinking and quickly shooting out a wind blade.

The girl barely turned around in time to see it connect to the figure, letting out a surprised cry as she caught sight of its blade. The dagger fell to the side just a moment later, though, the figure suddenly collapsing in a startled heap just in front of her.

Cooro instantly switched back out of his +anima, letting his only momentarily extended wings withdraw through the new holes they'd ripped in his jacket in hopes that he hadn't drawn attention as he rushed up to Nana.

All the +anima were gathered around her now, staring down at the small figure.

It suddenly gave a groan, attempting to push itself up with its palms.

It was…nothing more than a young boy. He was covered in some sort of cloak himself, but what they could see of his face gave that away as he gave a startled glance around, unsure of what'd just knocked him over as he realized what'd happened. He passed a guilty, dismayed gaze up at Nana and the others, like a naughty child who'd just been caught in the act of some sort of mischief. He looked no older than twelve, possibly younger, but coming after someone with a blade was more than just 'mischief'. The five stared at him dumbfounded for a few moments longer. Of all the places they'd expected to find trouble, they hadn't guessed that the only danger they'd faced so far would come from a little boy.

"…What the hell do you think you're doing, kid?" Husky eventually demanded harshly, still staring down at him.

The child's gaze just hardened, the boy quickly snatching up his blade again before they could stop him as he all at once quickly pushed himself all the way up to his feet. He kept his glare on Nana, holding out the knife threateningly in front of her. "Y…you!" He sputtered, obviously trying his best not to sound afraid. "I know you! You're a +anima! You were that bat girl! The one who was friends with that monster who killed Captain Zeale!"

All of their eyes widened a bit. Captain Zeale…? Aside from Captain Joseph, Zeale had been one of the ones who'd captured Cooro and Nana and dragged them into the prison. …Captain Zeale was dead?

Cooro abruptly took in a sharp gasp as an image of that man's face all at once returned to him, desperate and stained with blood. Of course. The boy was talking about him. The events of the morning he'd gotten loose still seemed a bit muted in his mind – and he didn't want it any other way – but Zeale…he'd been one of the people he'd killed… He felt his stomach churn.

"W…what?" Nana sputtered, taking a few steps back. Truth be told, the small boy wasn't that threatening now, but his words caught her off guard.

"Captain Zeale was my uncle!" The boy proclaimed, his voice filled with rage. "He's dead… He was the only one who gave a damn about me, and he's dead… It's all because of that black-winged monster you were with!"

"…Captain Zeale…" Husky repeated the name thoughtfully, his gaze widening as realization dawned on him. "Prince Yuriel?" He quickly reached out and pulled down the hood of the boy's cloak as he grabbed the squirming, angry figure by the shoulder, revealing all of the boy's features for the first time.

Sure enough, it was the blond-haired boy that he recognized as the king's one living heir. He knew that face well. Oftentimes, especially before he'd become well accepted in his squadron, he'd had the duty of serving as the prince's bodyguard…and making sure that he didn't try to get loose from the castle. He'd never been close to his parents, and it hadn't been uncommon, actually, for the boy to try and sneak out into the city with a cloak and small dagger. He'd probably simply sneaked away again before unexpectedly catching sight of them. Captain Zeale had been his uncle on the queen's side.

Zeale… Husky knew his face well, too. He'd been one of Captain Joseph's friends and rivals. …He was dead? …Cooro had killed him?

"Let go of me, Myrrha!" The boy screamed defiantly, eventually managing to pull away from his grip. He glared up at the silver-haired boy. Obviously, he'd recognized him, as well. "You're one of them, too. You're a traitor! You're with her! Don't touch me!"

"…The…prince?" Nana blinked, staring down at him in disbelief herself now.

"S…shut up!" The boy yelled out, his face flustered. He moved his gaze back towards her and gripped his knife tightly once more. "I swore that I'd avenge my uncle! You'll pay for what your friend did to him!"

"Stop it!" Cooro screamed, grabbing one of the boy's arms and yanking him away from her. "She didn't have anything to do with what happened to your uncle! Leave her alone!"

The prince opened his mouth to protest, but his voice escaped him as realization suddenly hit him. His hysteric eyes narrowed as he looked up at Cooro, his face still veiled by the hood.

"…Of course. It was _you_, wasn't it?" He accused, his voice low and cold. "You… That's why you're with her and Myrrha but trying to hide your face. It was you that knocked me over a minute ago… It was you that killed my uncle! –" He cried, his voice rising to a shrill, furious scream.

He didn't get to say anything more, though, before Husky grabbed him and held an arm over his mouth to shush him up. At this rate, the whole city would hear him. Luckily, there was so much noise that so far no one had paid much notice to them, but he didn't want to keep pressing their luck.

"Yuriel, go home." He ordered. "That's not the person you're thinking of." He lied, careful to avoid the crow +anima's gaze as he continued. "And if it was, what makes you think you wouldn't just be getting yourself killed by trying to avenge Zeale? If he killed him, I can guarantee that he could kill you."

The boy bit down hard on his arm, making the former guard recoil in surprise as the boy squired away, passing him an icy glance back. "You're not the boss of me anymore, Myrrha! Don't tell me to go back! You're lying to me! It's him! I know it's him! And I…I'm stronger than you think! I'll avenge my uncle!"

He all at once turned away and charged Cooro with the blade before anyone could react. He was fast, but the crow +anima still managed to take a frantic, clumsy step to the side as the prince rushed him. His oversized coat, though, wasn't as lucky. The knife caught in its loose fabric, the jerk making the hood slip and fall off his face as the jacket tore.

Yuriel's enraged eyes grew even wider as he finally caught sight of Cooro's features. "_You_!" He hissed. "I knew it! It's you!" The boy's hands were shaking in a mixture of fury and fear. "You probably didn't notice me, but I was there when you two were dragged into the prison by Joseph and my uncle! I used to train with Zeale – I was there to meet him! I was also there the day you got loose and killed him! He protected me from you, even at the end! He realized what was going on and that you were coming, and threw me in one of the weapon cabinets. But I saw you…I could see what was going on through the door crake! You killed him… You _killed_ him!" He wailed, raw grief still present in his hysterical voice.

"He tried to fight you off, but you pressed him against a wall. He begged you to stop – he said that he admitted defeat. But you didn't stop. You cut him in half!" Tears started dampening the boy's cheeks now as his voice momentarily wavered. "You were smiling… You cut him in half without even touching him, and then just left like you hadn't done anything! You looked happy… You were covered in his blood and you looked happy! Monster! Demon!"

"_Stop_!" Cooro screamed, feeling his body start to tremble. He placed a hand on his forehead as he shook it, as if trying to dismiss the horrible memories that were reappearing in his mind at the boy's words. "Stop it! Please, stop!" He felt his own eyes start to water now, his gaze falling away from the boy's. "I…I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

"_Sorry_…?" The prince practically hissed. "You say you're 'sorry'? He's dead. He's dead and you killed him! Now you're apologizing to _me_? You think I give a damn if you're 'sorry'? I want revenge! I want you to die like him!" The boy was clearly hysterical now, screaming as his face continually dampened. He visibly fought to calm himself, his sweaty hands tightly gripping his blade. "Besides…do you have any idea how much your head is worth? If I killed you, my father might finally be proud of me. He always says that he wishes I had died instead of my older brother, but if I can kill you…the one who took out so many of his guards and are helping the +anima win the war…maybe he'll finally accept me! My uncle was the only one who did… Now that you took him away, if you're really sorry…then you owe it to me to make my father love me now in his place! You owe it to me! Maybe he'll finally say that I'll make a good king!"

"Enough!" Husky snapped, snatching the boy again and holding him even tighter. The boy immediately bit down on his arm once more without hesitation. He winced, but didn't let him go this time, having expected it. This was getting out of hand. The kid had always had issues, but… "You don't even understand what really happened or what's going on. You're only making a fool of yourself and getting in the way. I'm sorry about Zeale, but our friend isn't going to die just so you can get a grin out of your father. Settle down, Yuriel."

Meora, who'd been just staring the whole time, finally moved forward, an odd grin on her own face as she stared down at the small, hysterical boy. "Astaria's prince…really? You know what I think?" She started, her own voice sounding strained. "I think we should kill him ourselves."

The eyes of the young prince and all the other +anima opened wide.

Meora just stared down coldly at the boy. "You're not the only one who wants revenge, kid. You're father is a monster, too. He killed my Jake. He gave the order for the guards to do away with him. The one person who was really precious to me! Even if you don't think so, I'm sure you're precious to your father. An eye for an eye, as they say…" The woman discretely switched into her +anima, claws only, as she held them out threateningly over the trembling prince.

"Meora!" Cooro gasped, stunned. …Was this really the same woman he'd loved as a grandmother when he'd been about the same age as the prince? He'd never heard her speak such cold words. He hadn't thought she'd be capable of it. Especially not to a child… "What are you saying? You can't! He's just a kid!"

Yuriel briefly moved his scared gaze to the crow +anima with an angry flicker, as if hearing that from him only made him madder.

"You say that even after what he said to you?" The older woman glowered. "Just because he's a child, he's no different. We all have revenge and desires that we want."

"Meora, stop!" Nana suddenly came up behind the older female, trying to pull her back a bit from the prince's face. "No one's killing anyone, okay!" She ordered harshly, trembling a bit herself. Was everyone going mad? "He tried to attack us, but that doesn't mean you can say such things!"

The woman glared at the girl, but said nothing, eventually taking a step back herself.

Husky moved his gaze back down to the prince, who he still held firmly in his grasp. "Yuriel…get out of here…"

This time the boy didn't argue as the former guard released him. He took off with a last fearful, angry glare, tears still present on his face as he vanished down an alley.

He was gone.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the group.

Meora simply started walking again, not looking back for the rest of the +anima as she kept moving towards the castle. The others were about to follow, but their eyes stopped at Cooro, first.

"Umm…you okay?" Nana eventually asked him, the gazes of his other old friends also set worriedly on him as they awaited the answer.

"…Fine…" He eventually nodded, though he didn't raise his own eyes to meet theirs. "We should go…we shouldn't leave Meora alone right now…"

The others all nodded in agreement, following after the woman without another word.

* * *

Yuriel let out an angry scream. There was no one there to hear him, but his grief-stricken and enraged voice echoed hollowly down the alley. The only answer he got was the startled cawing of a flock of crows, and the pattering of feet as a few stray cats abandoned a nearby dumpster, alarmed at his presence.

Hardly noticing, the boy knelt down against the grimy walls of the alley, hugging his knees as he wept. He was useless… He was so useless! What would Zeale say if he could speak to him now? He'd failed… And what about his father? What would he say if he saw his son and only heir crying in the slums? Maybe he was right… The boy only pulled his legs closer. Maybe a helpless coward like him wasn't fit to be a king…

"…Hey, boy."

The boy instantly jerked his gaze up as a female voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts. He quickly wiped his eyes, hoping that they wouldn't recognize him and start rumors about what a crybaby the prince was. "W…who's there? What do you want?" He started, his alarm and unease audible in his voice.

"There's no need to worry, boy. Even if I killed you, I'd get nothing from it right now."

The voice spoke again, before its owner suddenly emerged and stepped forward from around a corner a moment later.

Yuriel's eyes only narrowed more as he instinctively scooted himself back an inch, ready to get back to his feet.

It was a young woman with long, black hair. She looked…strange. Her body was obscured by a hooded, black cape that covered her shoulders and back, with straps across it on the sides that also covered her chest and the area between her waist and lower thighs in the front. It was topped off by tall black boots, and…where those bandages wrapped around her midsection and back? It was hard to tell in the dim lighting of the alley, but she was indeed walking funny, partially hunched over in an odd limp, as if her back hurt. He knew many of the citizen's faces, but he'd definitely never seen her before…

"Stop it." The woman frowned in annoyance at his worried face, before her lips started to upturn back into a grin. "I'm here to help you, you see. You want revenge against the crow +anima, correct? I can help you make that possible."

Yuriel blinked in surprise? How did she…? How long had she been watching him? Despite his new alarm, he couldn't help but be perplexed by her words. "Y…yeah… Zeale…he… I want to make him pay! But…how can you…?"

The woman just nodded. "You're not the only who he's wronged, child. Let's just say I want revenge as well, but…you can see what he did to me." She paused, gesturing to the bandages. "I have…power. Power like his. But I'm in no condition to fight anymore."

"P…power?" The boy sputtered. Power like his? "How –"

The woman reached down and put a finger over the boy's mouth before he could say anything else, making him flinch. Obviously, she wasn't going to answer any questions. "If I let you borrow my power, will you do exactly what I tell you to?"

Yuriel didn't say anything, feeling himself start to sweat as he stared up at the woman's gaze. Her eyes were scary…they didn't look quite human, and it made his spine shiver. What were these people? But…power? He could borrow her power?

Eventually, he gave a hesitant nod.

A satisfied smile crept onto the woman's face. "Good. Then here are the conditions. My power will only belong to you for 24 hours, after that, it will automatically come back to me. If you disobey me, I will also be able to take it back any time that I want to with nothing more than a thought – be aware of that. And mainly, and you better hear this, kid. _I_ will be the one to kill him. I'm going to put a 'spell' on you as well, I'm going to reserve enough power for myself for that – if he dies by any other means, regardless of whether you are the one to cause that death or not, you will die as well. You are to bring him to me alive, and then I will be the one to do the honors. You mustn't take off that pendant he's wearing until he's in my custody, either. Do you understand that?"

Yuriel didn't respond for a while, narrowing his gaze a bit. She was going to be the one to kill him? But… "I want to kill him! I want to kill him like he killed Zeale!" The prince protested, finger in front of his mouth and all.

The woman frowned a bit. "Trust me, boy. He's done much worse to me – I deserve to be the one who finishes him. But if you want to be the one who brings his head to your father and earns all that money and praise, I couldn't care less. And I'll tell you what! If you succeed, I'll even let you keep my power! Once he's dead, I'll no longer have any need for it. You'd like that, wouldn't you? You'd like to be strong." A wide, strange smile spread across the woman's face. "We both get what we want out of it, right? The person who killed your uncle will be dead and your father will finally have a reason to love you like he loved your brother." A cold glint passed through her eyes as she spoke the last sentence.

Yuriel briefly tensed in surprise. She did know who he was! But… An image of his father's proud, grinning face passed through his mind. And power… Maybe he could finally be a worthy heir. …Would everyone love him, then? He hesitated for just a moment longer. "O…okay… Alright! I agree. I'll… I'll do it!" He finally decided, passing as confident of gaze as he could muster up at the woman.

Her smile widened. "Good boy. Remember what I told you now…and hold still."

With that, a single, black feathered wing appeared behind her, making the boy's eyes widen in shock as she suddenly lifted up his shirt and placed a hand on his chest, a strange glow surrounding it. It felt…hot, the boy almost screaming as the glow started working its way though his whole body along with the burning throb. He panted for breath, but before he knew it…it was over.

He scanned himself frantically. The glow was gone, but…he felt strange. It didn't hurt anymore, but he could still feel the warm sensation pulsing through his veins. …Was this what her power felt like?

The woman had withdrawn back, looking tired herself even though the smile still remained on her face. "Don't waste any time. The way to use the power should come instinctively to you now when you need it. Go bring that boy to me."

Giving her a last glance that looked nothing short of amazed, the boy nodded, quickly turning and running out of the alleyway from the same direction he'd originally entered from.

Catherine just leaned against the wall as she watched him leave. The constant aching in her back was tiring enough, but transferring her power to that human child had left her exhausted. Still…it was the only thing she could do. Her wounds hadn't healed yet, and_ he_ knew it. She was lucky to have found someone willing to fight for her.

Of course, she'd told him plenty of lies. She didn't really have the strength or power left to establish the spell that would kill him if he disobeyed and killed the crow himself. But he didn't need to know that. After all, she had no intention of her target dying. And she had no intention of letting the prince keep her power, either. He'd be in for quite a rude surprise once he really brought him to her.

Once she had her target, she would take off the pendant around his neck and make him come to his senses again. At least, that was how she was hoping things would work. She wondered if that boy would really be able to bring him. But…she also wondered whether her target's human disguise could bring itself to fight back against a child. She didn't know what the outcome would be, but this would be…interesting.

And it would give her longer to rest. She stroked her one remaining wing thoughtfully, an odd, almost human-like hint of sadness in her eyes.

She missed flying.

Her last attempt to claim and save him had been a complete disaster. She didn't know what else to try. She hoped this kid would come through for her. He had to. The crow was starting to get the upper hand, and as much as it pained her to admit it, she had no idea what to do.

Sighing, she switched out of her +anima and began to leave the alley herself, slowly but surely padding along in the same direction the prince had run off in.

* * *

"Dang it! I can't believe we lost her!" Husky cursed under his breath, frowning in frustration. "At this rate, she'll do something that will only make the government hate +anima even more!"

Meora had gotten far enough ahead of them that she'd vanished into the crowds. If she'd noticed, she obviously hadn't cared – she was nowhere to be found now, and things only get more packed and more difficult as they walked down the bustling streets nearest to the palace.

"…And get herself killed…" Cooro added sadly, looking down a bit. What was wrong with her?

He passed a brief glance in Nana's direction, thinking about how he'd feel if someone took her away from him. Catherine almost had. That was one of the reasons why he couldn't let his conflict with her go on any longer, but… What Meora was doing wasn't going to get her anywhere. And she'd wanted to kill the prince. Doing such a thing solely for vengeance wasn't right…killing someone to get back at someone who killed…a death for a death…that wasn't the way the world worked. At least, it wasn't the way it should.

He gave an ironic grunt, Yuriel's words throbbing in his memory. It would probably still seem odd to hear a murderer like him speak those words… He had no idea what he'd say to Meora once they found her.

"Do you really think she'd keep on heading towards the castle…?" Nana asked quietly, her own eyes slightly downturned.

Husky nodded. "Yeah. Obviously she's not quite in her right mind. If all she wants is vengeance, to the point where she doesn't even seem to care about her own life, the palace is where she'd go. That's where the people who ordered the captain dead reside."

Nana bit her lip, but did give a nod, knowing that he was right.

"Get out of here, woman!"

"I'm not leaving until I get my audience with the king! He already agreed to meet with me in regards to my company via letter, and I'm not leaving without seeing him after coming all this way!"

As if on cue, an angry male voice rose up from the direction of the castle, followed by another enraged voice that couldn't belong to anyone but a certain leopard +anima.

"Meora!" Cooro called out, instantly recognizing the familiar voice as the entire group of younger +anima surged forward.

"Get out of here. No one here is going to believe you! We are informed of every visitor the king is planning to see. Not even the best lie will make it passed us."

Sure enough, Meora was standing in front of large group of armed men, her hands clenched into fists. There wasn't a single trace of fear in her eyes – any emotion besides hatred seemed to be gone. But to the rest of the +anima, it was blatant to see that this was not good.

Cooro briefly hesitated, the sight of so many guards making him freeze. The others all did the same behind him, likely having similar doubts.

"Even the king makes mistakes. With so much going on, I wouldn't blame him for forgetting to inform you. Now, if you'll just let me in, I'm sure everything will work out fine. Otherwise I'm sure the king will be angry with you later for making him miss an appointment." Meora insisted, practically hissing out her strained words as she took a step forward, only to be blocked by the guards. She tried to push them away, forcing a few more steps into the crowd of armed officials.

It was when one held a blade to her chest that the younger four +anima couldn't stand by and watch anymore.

Only taking a moment to make sure that his hood was in place, Cooro rushed up to the woman, lightly tugging on her shirt in an attempt to guide her back. Still trying to keep his gaze downwards, he turned nervously towards the guards. "I…I'm sorry…I think my grandmother has the wrong date… Please, forgive her. It's, err…her age…" Hopefully his words wouldn't offend her – she wasn't _that_ old – but he had to think of something to say to get them out of that situation without stirring up a lot of suspicion. "…Let's go, grandma…we'll double check the letter you received and come back later." He prompted, using the best acting skills he could muster. After all, he used to be good at such things when he was younger.

When all he got was an irritated look from the older woman, he quieted his voice and leaned in closer to her ear. "…Meora…what the heck do you think you're doing? There's too many of them! We have to get out of here! Even all of us together would stand no chance here!" He whispered, still lightly pulling on her clothes. But she wouldn't budge. Instead, she turned to his ear with her own voice quiet.

"We would stand more than a chance if you use your power." A cold, confident grin came over her face. "…Get rid of them all for me…just like you did to Zeale and all those others that day, would you?"

Cooro just gawked at her response, instinctively pulling away a bit in his shock. Obviously, her sanity was completely gone. …How had her heart become so cold?

"…N…no! No! I'm not going to do anything like that ever again! You…" He paused, unsure of what to say to the woman. "Please…let's just go while we still can!"

Meora just glared at him for a moment. "Do it. It's because of you that Jake is dead. It's because he went to save you that he got caught up in the situation that he did… If you'd never gotten caught, he would still be alive." She started, not bothering to hide any resentment any longer. "And you…you betrayed me, too. I did think of you as something like a grandchild. You don't know how much I worried! How much I grieved after you disappeared! But it was all wasted. You…what are you? You're not even human! I sent my Jake to save you…and the boy that I cared about wasn't even real… At least do this for me now! _Do it_!"

"I…I…" Cooro couldn't manage to find the words to say anything, only aware that his gaze was about to start watering as he felt a painful throb in his chest. He took a step back, staring at her with shocked, hurt eyes.

Meora's face twisted as she met the stare, contorting into what looked like pure disgust and hatred.

"Just get the heck out of here, woman, before we have to use force!"

The voice of one of the guards suddenly interrupted, catching Meora's gaze. She held it for just a moment, before an odd grin came across her face and she turned it back to Cooro.

Still feeling frozen in place by her words, the boy just kept starting up at her in shock and pain as she slowly moved a hand up towards his face. Briefly loosing reality and becoming a child sitting in front of her fireplace again, he looked almost hopeful as she let it hover near his check, but the cold smile never left the woman's lips. "...Are you sure it's me you should be worrying about getting out of here? Look who we have here!"

With a single, quick movement, the crow +anima's hood was suddenly off. Meora just grinned satisfactorily as he let out a stunned gasp, all at once coming back to his senses as he struggled to put his cover back on. "…Meora!" He gasped in disbelief, frantically trying to shield his face.

But it was too late. Here he was. His face unveiled before a crowd of royal guards.

"Cooro!" Nana screamed from where she was standing, equally stunned, a few feet away. None of the others had been able to hear their conversation, but all of them were left in shock, not quite knowing how to react as surprise and comprehension slowly began to appear on the guard's faces.

"T…that's…!"

"It's that +anima that was on the wanted posters and given a bounty on our notification boards! The one that murdered the others at the prison station and helped win the last battle for the fortress!"

"W…what's it doing here? Did it come back for us now?"

"Who cares – there's a lot more of us than it!"

"…They say it has some sort of power. I…I mean there were a lot of guards at the prison station, too…"

"But do you know how big the bounty is? If we kill it, we'll never have to worry about this job again!"

"Get it! With all of us together we can take it down!"

A few seconds passing before he registered what they were saying, Cooro only had a few moments to force his legs to work. Nana and the others had already grabbed onto his arms, frantically pulling him away as the guard's withdrew their weapons.

"H…hey! That woman! She's…"

"Stop!"

The +anima didn't have time to stop and look back, but it was obvious that Meora had made a break for the castle during the chaos.

"Forget about her – she's just an old woman. Even if she get's inside, I'm sure the few guards stationed by the king can handle it. We have to get this monster! If we don't act on an opportunity like this, we'll be the ones who'll pay for it! I'm sure we'll be punished if they find out that we let it waltz right passed the castle!"

Not able to get his shaking feet to keep up with those of his companions, Cooro briefly closed his eyes, letting his pendant light up as a familiar, warm surge rushed through him.

His cover was already blown, anyway.

Beating the wings that emerged from his shoulder blades in a wild rush of feathers, he briefly bent back in the direction of the guards and sent out a wind blade towards their legs as he struggled to get himself airborne.

Startled cries sounded out from several of the guards behind them. They also got several from the crowds as they reached the streets, most people gawking in fear as the dark-winged +anima passed by.

"Catch it! That's the prison station murderer! Everyone who helps will get a share of the reward!"

A few people yelped and moved even further to the side as the guards yelled out his identity, but a few more surged in on him, surrounding him as he tried to navigate the twisting paths of the capital.

He instinctively tried to arch upwards, out of their reach, but a weight on his foot held him down.

Letting out a scream himself, the boy beat his wings frantically in an attempt to stay in the air as more people crowded him, reaching for his legs and arms as they managed to pull him to the stone street below. He let out another wind blade, but it was to no avail. No matter how many people he made back off, only more would come.

"Cooro!" His three companions tried desperately to pull the attackers away from behind as the guards readied their weapons, but no one paid them much notice, not even to the former guard. All of their eyes were too set on the black-winged young man held down beneath them and the handsome sum of gillah his head was worth.

"Guys, step back!" The crow +anima called out to his companions once he managed to draw in enough air to speak under the weight of all the guards. The urgency in his voice made them do so, the three +anima quickly stumbling back.

A large burst of flames and a few screams erupted from the place where he was held down only seconds later. With burns and with a few scrapes of clothing still smoldering, the attackers withdrew from above him in panic, gazing at him with a new fear and pain in their eyes as they scrapped in vain at the singes covering their skin.

Cooro quickly pushed himself partway up, his own body aching with bruises and scrapes as he stared back at them sadly. He tried not to show any remorse on his face, though, forcing an empty coldness into his eyes that acted as a warning. He hadn't wanted to hurt anyone, but they'd left him no choice but to unleash a greater extent of his power. He couldn't die yet. Not now, before he'd settled things with Catherine.

"_You…!_" A few of the guards narrowed their eyes, stealing their pain and charging towards him again.

He reacted by sending out another rush of fire that sent them back with new wails of pain, this time sending uneasy cries all up the crowd as the entire group of people stepped back. He had no other options. He wouldn't kill them, but force had become necessary. After all, Meora was…

Even the eyes of his three companions were wide, but having earned a moment to move, he quickly approached and gestured for them to follow. "Come on! We have to stop Meora! If she manages to reach the king…then this war will never end!" He wasn't sure what Meora was capable of on her own, or how many guards still remained inside the palace. But, if she somehow managed to enact her revenge, then it would be all of Astaria that would declare vengeance against the +anima. He didn't think their hatred could ever be tamed, then. Meora had lost her mind. The +anima would never be accepted in Astaria again. He had to stop this somehow – he had the power to. …And if this whole thing, the way that Jake died and Meora had been consumed by her grief, was his fault like the woman had called it, he had to prevent it from causing even more tragedy.

Using his wings to propel himself faster down the streets, before any brave attackers had the chance to resume, he quickly made a break for the castle. The only thing he was aware of was the sound of Husky's and Senri's footsteps behind him and a beating of wings that told him that Nana had taken flight as well.

"This is crazy!" His silver-haired companion called out as they neared the large castle towering over them. "They're already after you, the last thing you should be doing is heading for the palace!"

"But…" He protested as he passed a glance back. "If we don't find her, Meora will…" Either she'd get her wish and kill the king, or she'd be killed in the process. Either way would end in tragedy.

"_Stop_!"

A small voice suddenly sounded that pulled the eyes of the four +anima back in the direction of the castle entrance. They all blinked, momentarily coming to a halt as they stared down at the small figure that had appeared, standing protectively in front of the doorway.

It was Astaria's prince.

"Yuriel!" Husky called out angrily, instantly recognizing the boy once again. "What do you think you're doing – we don't have time to play games with you! I told you to get out of here!"

The boy just narrowed his eyes, his hands shaking from a mixture of fear and rage. "And what are you doing here? You monsters came for my father and mother now, didn't you? Didn't you? You wanted to take them away from me now, too!" The young prince was practically hysterical.

"Yuriel…we're not after your parents…" Husky assured in as calm of voice as he could manage, approaching. "But someone else is. We have to head inside to stop her."

"Lies!" The boy's nostrils flared, the prince all at once reaching out his palm and sending a wind blade rushing from it in a single movement.

The former guard only had time to gasp in shock before it hit him, sending him to the ground with a cry of pain.

The eyes of his three companions instantly stretched wide, their mouths falling agape. "W…what?" Cooro gawked in disbelief. He recognized that power. That was… But…how? It was like his – the power that he and Catherine shared. But how had the prince…? "How…did you…?" What had the prince done? Such power wasn't his.

"…Yuriel…?" Husky looked up at the boy in disbelief as he forced himself up on his palms, struggling to slowly get to his feet.

The four +anima just stared, still stunned.

Yuriel smiled in satisfaction at the expressions on their faces. He moved his glare right to Cooro. "You're not stronger than me anymore. What will you do now? How does it feel to be attacked by someone like you?" The boy outstretched his palm again, sending out another wind blade for the other three. "Now die!" That woman had said not to kill him. But she'd been lying about the spell. He knew she had been by the slight shift in her cold eyes. She'd only wanted the satisfaction for herself! That wasn't going to happen!

Nana managed to hover over the attack with a startled cry, but it hit Senri's arm on the left side and grazed Cooro's left wing with a pain that sent him the street below.

His eyes wild, Yuriel unleashed a rush of fire right in his direction.

The crow +anima only had a split second to react, sending out a rush of fire himself. The two attacks connected, creating a blast that didn't hit either of them directly but that knocked them both back violently.

"Yuriel! Whatever you're doing, just stop! The guards are after us – they might come soon. What do you think your father will think if he sees you like this?" Husky called out while the boy struggled back to his feet. What was going on? How had the boy gotten power like Cooro's? Had he lost his mind?

The boy didn't answer as he got back up, this time sending out another rush of fire in the former guard's direction.

Husky barely managed to move to the side in time to avoid a direct hit, but the flames still hit his leg, making him cry out in pain once again.

Not pausing, the boy sent out another blast in Cooro's direction again. The crow +anima reacted in the same way, creating another explosion that cancelled both attacks out but that knocked both the prince and the four +anima back.

"Cooro! Do something!" Nana urged as the force of the blast sent her hard to ground. They couldn't keep on letting themselves get pounded like this!

The young man sent out a wind blade of his own, aiming it for the younger boy's legs. It connected, sending him to sidewalk with a thud. But it was only a moment later before the prince countered with another blast of flames from where he lay, not even all the way back up.

This time the crow +anima didn't quite have time to react, barely managing to jump back in time to have only the edges of the flames run across him. They still licked at his face, leaving burns that made him cry out and singeing part of the jacket he'd been wearing. Quickly throwing off the burning coat, he placed a hand on his throbbing cheek, the pain almost making him bite his tongue.

What was he going to do? The prince wasn't holding back. But he was only a child. There was no way he could use his own full force back…not against a young boy. But how could he stop him? The boy had gone completely mad!

A loud scream that didn't belong to any of them suddenly split the air, directing the attention of both the +anima and the crazed prince up towards the castle tower it'd come from.

"Father!" The prince called out in shock and alarm at the sound of the king's voice. …If the +anima were out here, then who was…? "Father!" He cried out again, passing Cooro and the others just a last glance before frantically turning and running into the palace.

"Meora!" Nana screamed, guessing what was going on. …Had the leopard +anima…?

The four of them instantly rushed after him, heading inside Astaria's royal castle. Somewhere they'd never thought they'd see the inside of.

But it wasn't a pleasant sight inside.

Despite the glamour, elegance, and luxury, the smell of blood hung in the air. From the looks of things, most of the guards had originally taken off after Cooro, but what few had remained where lying in pools of red on the floor, their bodies marred with what looked like huge claw marks. The four of them briefly stopped, gasping as they took in the scene. "This is…" Nana sputtered, her stunned voice broken. "This is awful!"

"Meora…" Cooro breathed in disbelief, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. When he'd gone mad, it'd been because of the horrid instincts that existed somewhere inside him. But what had Meora done? Was the human emotion of rage so powerful that it could make someone do this? That it could turn someone completely normal into a demon almost like him? Pure, human fury was something he hadn't experienced much yet. Even though he liked to consider himself human, it seemed like hot rage had been the last emotion to be able to form within him. Maybe he really didn't understand real humans that well at all… Maybe he didn't want to. He realized there were tears in his eyes. What had happened to the woman he'd once loved as a grandmother? "…Is this…what rage does…?" He asked under his breath, not realizing he'd spoken aloud until Nana shook her head.

"Sometimes…people can wish for terrible things when they want revenge. They might even do things they never would normally… No one is perfect." If the war hadn't proved that enough, this certainly would. Imperfection and anger were parts of the human race. "But this… Something's snapped within Meora. We have to stop her!" The young woman reminded urgently, snapping her companions back to reality.

More voices rang through the air. The cold, loud voice of Meora and the angry, frightened voice of the prince.

They had to hurry. Keeping their eyes set only on the path ahead, the four +anima rushed up the agonizingly long flight of stairs towards the throne room.

* * *

Meora let out another scream just as they opened the door the king's keep, falling back against a wall after taking a hit from a wind blade. Prince Yuriel stood between her and his parents, the king and queen of Astaria, who were both watching with astonished, horrified eyes. Their mouth's were hanging agape, as if they wanted to speak, but no words left their lips. The only noise that escaped was another cry as their son let out another attack, stopping Meora as she tried to get up.

"Stop!" Nana cried, a hand to her mouth as she gazed over the scene. Despite having managed to make it passed the guards with her +anima abilities, the older woman was clearly injured now. Too injured to fight anymore. She'd lost the battle. Blood leaked from beneath her as she tried to get up, with the prince watching her with furious eyes but a trembling body. The two rulers looked as though they didn't know whether to be more aghast about the attack itself or what their own son had just done. Their faces lit up in fear even more when they saw the four new +anima that had just entered the room.

"She's down. Don't hurt her anymore!" Cooro pleaded, catching the Prince's attention once again.

The boy's eyes grew even wider. "You!" He breathed.

Cooro raised his palm to unleash an attack aimed at the Prince's feet, but before he could, he took a rushed but swift hit to the side from a wind blade himself. He winced, clutching his side with his free hand as he finally released his own attack.

But the Prince had predicted it now, easily jumping over it and sending out another attack as he did so that hit Cooro straight in the chest.

The force sent him down to the floor with a scream, leaving a tear in his shirt and a new, painful gash that briefly made him loose his breath.

Before he could react, the prince was over him. The younger boy placed a foot hard between his shoulder blades and the other against the arm that he used to attack as he stood over the crow +anima's body, aiming his palm over his neck. The older, black-winged boy stared up at him with wide eyes, struggling to escape from the hold. But his frail form was too weak. All he could do was struggle helplessly under the prince's feet.

"Cooro!" Nana and Husky cried out in near unison, the other three +anima instinctively rushing up to pull the boy off their injured companion.

They never got to reach him, though, barely missing a hot rush of flames that sent them stumbling back. "Don't interfere!" The boy screamed angrily, practically snarling in his mad rage.

"Yuriel, please don't!"

This time the voice made the boy hesitate, the prince turning back to face his father at the sound of his voice. "I'm only trying to protect you, father. And get revenge for Uncle."

The man looked shaken. Even against a +anima, this was too much. "Thank you for protecting us, but enough of his enough! Leave such matters to the officers. What's become of you? Where did you get these powers? Where's my son? My sweet boy who was always too compassionate to pass the hunting trials? I know that I haven't always treated you well, but know that you're… I want my son back! My real son!"

Yuriel was quiet for a moment, taken aback. Brief feelings of uncertainty flickered in his eyes, but the boy was too far gone. "I'm still here, but I've made this decision for myself. Aren't you proud of me, father? …You always said that I always relied on others too much to think for me." With that, the prince turned his gaze and palm back towards the older boy's neck, a small light beginning to form within his hand as he readied another attack.

"No!" Nana cried, the other three +anima frantically surging forward again.

But it wasn't them that stopped him.

The light suddenly extinguished from the boy's palm, making him look down in alarm and confusion as the attack never fired.

"…What…?" Before he could register anything else, he sudden found a wind blade coming directly at him. It connected hard with his left shoulder, sending flying him back with a wail near to his parents.

It was only a split second before the gazes of everyone in the room instantly spun back to the entrance. One more +anima had just entered.

The girl panted, her only remaining black wing hanging jaggedly behind her as she stared at the prince in rage. "You worthless boy. You disobeyed me! My power is no longer yours!" Thank goodness she'd trailed him. Otherwise he would've rendered almost nineteen years or work useless.

"Catherine!" Cooro gasped as he quickly took the opportunity to force himself up. The person he'd come to Astar after was here. It was the first time he'd seen her since the incident at the resort town… She was standing in a limp, his eyes instinctively falling to her single wing.

So that was it… She'd temporarily transferred her abilities to the boy somehow. She clearly wasn't in fighting condition. He felt a pang in his chest, even though he wasn't quite sure why.

The girl only briefly looked down at him, before moving her cold gaze back over to the younger boy. "Did you think you'd get off without punishment?" She moved her palm up, releasing a huge wind blade in the direction of the royal family. It had force that was meant to be fatal.

"No!" Cooro screamed, realizing what was about to happen. Still standing nearby, he instinctively jumped in its path, shielding the child and his parents.

Catherine cringed in alarm, but there was no way to stop her attack now. "You fool! Move!" She cried out, not having meant it for him.

But he didn't move. Unlike the fire, he had no way to stop this attack, either. Unless he wanted to watch them die, along with any hope any +anima had for resolution, all he could do was wince in preparation for the hit.

What he didn't expect was for someone else to in turn shield him.

His eyes shot open again as the blast never came. Instead, he heard not one, but two loud, agonized screams from in front of him.

"Meora!" He screamed in shock, opening his gaze just in time to see her fall away in front of him, right between him and Catherine.

Her claws were covered in crimson, with a few black feathers clinging to the sticky liquid.

Just in front of her lay a dismembered black wing, laying limply on the ground in a mess of stray feathers.

Meora had taken the hit, and not only that, she'd taken Catherine's only remaining wing with her in the process.

Cooro's eyes stretched wide in a mixture of amazement and horror.

Why? Hadn't she been angry with him? Why had she…?

"Meora!" He called out again, rushing to her side as the other +anima joined him.

She was still breathing, but a huge, new wound right across the middle of her body was slowly painting her clothes crimson.

Tears started forming in his eyes as he turned back to the Catherine, the hot, human emotion of rage welling up inside him once more.

Not saying a word, he unleashed a wind blade of his own in her direction. It was powerful, but his trembling hands made the aim unsteady.

Catherine couldn't even attempt to dodge, still reeling in dizziness and pain and she clutched the new wound on her back where he wing had been only moments before. The new attack hit her on her opposite shoulder, sending her to the ground with another pained, awful scream.

Not even trying to get up, she quickly crawled back in the direction of the entrance, squeezing passed the door as she fled.

Cooro tensed, about to go after her, when he suddenly heard Meora give a cough from behind him.

Instead, he walked back over to her. His foe wouldn't be going anywhere fast. He couldn't leave Meora like this.

"Meora…why…?" He sputtered as he approached the woman. She was still lying in the same place, with Nana and the others kneeled down next to her. He joined them, practically falling to his knees. "I… I thought that…"

The woman weakly turned her head towards him, pain visible in her eyes. "I…I'm sorry…" She started, her words tired and trembling. "I…was wrong. I realized it when I saw you trying to protect the boy and his family…even after what he did to you…" There was a deep sadness to her grainy voice. "…What had become of me…?"

"But, why? You didn't have to –" Cooro stuttered, struggling to keep down the lump already forming in his throat.

"I was already on the way out to join Jake again…" She added before he could finish. "I wanted to do something at the end to redeem myself. You said on the boat that severing her wings was what you needed to do…right…? Now…" She coughed as she continued to trying to speak, her voice growing even weaker. "…You can soon go back to being the boy I knew before…can't you…?" She raised a shaking hand as she spoke, patting him across the head like she'd always done when he'd rested in her lap as a child.

Cooro managed a weak, but grateful smile, unable to stop the tears dampening his cheeks now. "Thank you… Thank you so much…" He sobbed, enjoying the nostalgic moment as she returned the smile with one that was both bittersweet and regretful.

"Don't…lose yourself…like I…did…" She breathed, her words coming with great difficulty now. "Please…live for me…too…"

And with that, the hand went limp, sliding off his forehead and to the woman's side with a dull thud.

The four +anima almost cried out, but there was nothing they could do.

Meora was dead.

Nana passed her trembling gaze across her motionless shape and over to Cooro, water falling from her own eyes and a hand over her mouth. It seemed like the tragedy would never stop.

Still leaning over the older woman's form, Nana let her head fall into Cooro's shoulder as she wept, the boy's own head resting against hers. They stayed like that for a while, as if forgetting about Catherine and the royal family behind them until they heard a voice.

"Guards…somebody, get up here!" It was a loud call that came from the king's mouth, not meant for them. But there was a half-heartedness to it, as if some of his anger against the +anima had faded away at the undeniably human scene before him.

Forcibly pressing down the sobs in his throat, Cooro carefully stood up and turned to face them. "The guards won't be coming… She got to everyone stationed in the castle earlier, and I think I scared away all the others for now." He informed them dryly, his head down.

The king didn't know what to say for a moment, his face pale.

"Please…please! Just get out! And don't tell anyone about this! About what the prince did, about how he had those powers! If rumors get out, he might never become king! I beg you, please! I love my boy more than anything! I know I've been hard on him, but only he is the one I want to take the throne after me! Whatever he did, he made a mistake, but he's only a child… Please don't tell anyone!" The king pleaded, gripping the boy tight as he pulled him close. The prince himself was silent, not having said a word since losing Catherine's powers. There was shame written on his face now. He seemed to have returned to his senses now that the power had left him.

"Father…" The boy mouthed quietly, his own cheeks dampening a bit as he held his gaze down.

Cooro stared down at them, forcing a seriousness into his broken voice. "Then call off the war. End all this tragedy. Show your son how to lead a kingdom with peace instead of hatred…" He paused. "If you end the war and promise to restore freedom to the +anima, including those that came here from Sailand, we won't ever say a word, and we'll leave right now."

The man met him directly in the eyes. He obviously knew who he was, but he also knew that the boy had just tried to save their lives.

There was a long moment of silence, before the king suddenly gave a slow, but certain nod. "Alright… Alright! It's over! All of it! You win! I promise that I'll call a truce as long as you get out of here now and don't speak a word about my boy!" The queen gave her own solemn nod.

The eyes of the other three +anima all lit up in amazement. The war…it was over. The words had come from the king's own mouth! It was really over!

Cooro smiled. "…Thank you…"

With that, he moved his gaze away from the king, queen, and prince, walking back over towards his companions and Meora's motionless shape. "Come on. Let's take Meora and get somewhere safe…"

Nana, Husky, and Senri all nodded, eager to get out of that place.

With their eyes still wet, Senri gently picked up Meora's body, carrying it as the small group left the room and headed back towards the stairs.

A trail of blood lead all the way down them, making Cooro hesitate as they reached the exit of the castle.

He stopped, gazing desolately down at the direction the crimson path continued in.

There was one more thing he had left to do before he could both grieve for Meora and celebrate the end of the war.

"You guys…wait for me down by the coast…" He started. "I'll meet you there in a bit."

"Wait!" Nana's eyes widened, the girl realizing what he was going to do. "We'll go with you!"

The crow +anima shook his head. "I need to finish this alone…" He explained quietly. He didn't want them there, when he… "I…I'll be fine. She's not a threat anymore." He added, trying to look confident. In the condition she was in, his mission would be easy.

Nana hesitated, seeming to understand. "Alright…come right back to us, okay?" Nevertheless, there was still deep worry in her eyes. "Be careful…"

He nodded, before all at once turning away and spreading his wings. Careful not to be seen, he took off in the direction the crimson trail and the faint sense of Catherine's presence led him.

* * *

Catherine didn't even have to look behind her as she heard the sound of beating wings followed by the sound of a quiet thud. The boy's presence told her who it was.

She stopped her crawling, letting herself lay down on the grass just outside the city border as she turned to look at him. It was no use. Even if she kept moving, she couldn't make it much farther… Her old wound still hadn't healed completely, and the new one was too much for her useless human body to take. "You're…here to kill me, aren't you…?"

Cooro didn't say anything, slowly walking up towards here. He stared down at her weak form. She was a pathetic sight. Her clothes were stained with her own blood, and her body trembled and shook. Her wings were gone – the only sign that gave away that she was still in her +anima form were the feathers that ran down her arms. The usual hatred was still in her cold eyes, but there was something else, too. An almost human-like sadness and regret. The boy felt a lump in his throat, mixed with a terrible feeling of dread that weighed heavily on his stomach.

But…he couldn't let Meora's sacrifice go to waste. And all those people she'd killed… All the people he'd hurt because of her… He raised a palm, holding it over her.

The woman gave a bitter laugh. "So…this is how it ends, brother? …This is why I always liked you. You don't give up. I always did admire your determination. …I guess a part of the you that I knew still exists inside that human shell. …One day, you'll regret this. I swear you will." She looked away. "…I couldn't save you from yourself. I'm sorry."

Cooro trembled. He kept his palm over her, but he couldn't move. He felt his cheeks starting to dampen once again. He…couldn't…

Even though he'd killed so many people against his will, as his human-self, he couldn't bring himself to make the final blow to one awful person like her.

Catherine grimaced. "Do it then! You've come this far!" She shouted, her voice breaking. "I can't go on with this pain…I can't win… Are humans so weak that you can't even finish off your own enemy now?" She scowled, the mocking tone still in her voice despite the tears that started running down from her own eyes as her words turned into a sob.

Only humans cried.

Cooro never moved his palm, but he lowered his gaze away from hers.

"Catherine…it doesn't have to end like this. I'm…happy now. I've found my own happiness again… I'm sure that…you could, too." He paused. She couldn't be that different from him. There was a human inside her somewhere – the tears running down her face proved it. "Why don't you become human…like me?"

The woman didn't say anything, but a slight look of both bewilderment and surprise entered her eyes as genuine shock came over her face.

"You…gave that boy your power before somehow, right? Why don't you give all of it to me permanently so I know that you won't use it? If…if you do…if you give it to me and promise to leave me alone, I'll heal you and then let you go…"

True, she'd done many horrible, unforgivable things. But so had he. If he deserved to find happiness now, why didn't she? As long as she didn't hurt anyone else…

There was a silence, Catherine staring up at him in what almost looked like amazement. Then something shifted slightly in her eyes.

"So…this is how a human heart works." She laughed again, before falling silent for another moment. She moved her eyes down and away from him before answering. "…Alright. You've already won – have it your way if that'll put less guilt on your meek conscious. I'll do it."

This time it was Cooro's turn to pass her a stunned gaze. He'd never expected her to agree. Maybe even a monster like her was scared of death.

Forcing herself up on shaky legs, Catherine slowly hobbled towards him.

The boy almost instinctively recoiled, his pendant pulsing wildly, but he forced himself to maintain position as the girl placed a hand over the place where his heart thudded rapidly.

She still kept her gaze down, not meeting his. "Stay still and close your eyes while I let my power flow into you. It will only take a moment."

Cooro hesitated, but he could feel how weak she was from the way her hand trembled on his chest.

Nervously, he gave a nod and obeyed.

It was too late that he felt the sharp tug on his neck.

There was a loud snap, the boy instantly pushing her away and moving his hands to the place he'd felt the pull.

The chain that held the pendant wasn't there. But the haze creeping up from the back of his mind already told him that.

He'd been a naive fool to trust her.

Cooro let out a harsh, panicked scream, falling to his knees as his hands flew to his throbbing head.

Catherine grabbed him tightly before he could pull further away, still keeping her hand over his chest despite his struggling.

It didn't last long. Everything happened fast with her the pendant exchanged for her touch.

He'd failed.

Eventually, his body went limp in her arms, a smiling spreading across the weak woman's face as she felt the frantic pounding of his heart start to calm and his jagged breathing begin to even out.

She threw the pendant from her left hand, letting it give out a metallic thud as it hit the wall of a building.

Satisfied, she turned her attention back to him.

"Welcome back…brother." She whispered the words in his ear. He was still panting a bit, but the shift in his muscles told her that he was recovering from the struggle.

"Sis…ter…" He muttered weakly.

A grin spread across her face. "But how can I trust you now? You've been saved before only to lose yourself again, thanks to that girl. Heal me, and then go after those +anima. Kill them all and then bring me the girl's head, and I'll accept you as my partner once again."

The boy remained still for a moment longer, but slowly raised his head. He looked up at her, the human warmth and fear in his eyes having faded away. "…I will."

Catherine just smiled.

* * *

_And so concludes the semi-final chapter, with poor Cooro back under Catherine's control._

_I apologize again for the wait. I had both a case of writer's block and a really hectic schedule. I also ended up with a new addiction to online RPing, and I've been spending entirely too much time on it and making RP boards myself, too (they're all listed on my profile now, including a +Anima board that could really use some more members *nudge, wink*). But I hope this chapter came out okay after almost six months of wrestling with it. I'm really going to try and get the finale out sooner - I've been looking forward to writing it for a while :D_

_Please review and stay tuned for the final face off~  
_


	24. Chapter Twenty Three: Messenger Of Death

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

_At long last, here is the twenty-third and final full chapter! _

_...I fail at regular updates...there's not much I can say except sorry for the huge wait for this last chapter - I really apologize again to anyone who was waiting. I also uploaded the epilogue at the same time as this chapter, though, so there's no waiting for that one, at least._

_But regardless, enjoy the finale~! _

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three:** Messenger Of Death

* * *

Accompanied only the by the sound of seagulls and the rhythmic pattern of the waves hitting and receding from the coast like breath, Nana paced anxiously along the shoreline. It was a relatively private area of the capital, with no public docks or ships, but it wasn't far from where they'd branched off from Cooro, so they figured that he'd be able to find them easily here.

The ship Meora had taken them there to Astar in was hidden just a ways ahead, too. But their captain…

Nana spared only a moment to glance at the lifeless form of the aged woman that Senri had gently placed down on the sand below them while they waited. Meora's body was arranged so that her head was propped up slightly on a piece of driftwood, with her hands tucked neatly over her chest, as if she was sleeping peacefully under the coastal sunlight. The girl felt herself start to tear up again, and quickly turned away.

She could only handle so much at once.

Cooro still hadn't come back yet, and the continuously increasing anxiety kept her mind away from anything else.

"_I…I'll be fine. She's not a threat anymore." _The boy's words played over again in her mind, along with the confident smile she knew had been forced. The crow +anima had always had a knack for hiding behind painted facades and grins, but, even if he hadn't noticed it yet, she knew him well enough now to recognize when his smiles were fake. She understood, though. She understood why he'd wanted to go alone. In reality, she hadn't truly wanted to go with him for that task, even if she was worried. So, despite her concern, she hadn't said anything.

But…it was a while ago he'd left now. He'd said he'd met them by the coast shortly. Catherine had obviously been in pretty bad condition, would…what he was doing…really take that long?

She had that feeling in the pit of her stomach again. The one she'd felt when he'd gone in alone during the last attack on the +anima's war fortress. With her legs feeling heavy, weighed down with worry, she stopped pacing. She'd halted just at the shoreline, below the horizon, but her gaze was angled downwards as she anxiously fiddled with her fingers and the hem of her dress.

The girl almost jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun her startled gaze to find that Husky had come up behind her. "…We're all exhausted from what happened at the castle, why don't you just come sit down? I'm sure he'll be back soon…that raven witch didn't look like she had much fight left."

Nana glanced passed him, behind her at the place where Senri was sitting on a large piece of driftwood, looking slightly anxious himself. Her muscles did ache, but…

"…Actually, I think I'm going to go make sure that everything's alright." The young woman suddenly decided.

"What?" Her silver-haired companion accused, surprised. "You heard him – he wanted us to wait here! He doesn't want to have us there!"

Nana looked down slightly, biting her lip. "I know, but…what if something went wrong? I can't just… I'll only be gone a few minutes. I'll follow the…" Her voice trailed off…she'd follow the trail of blood Catherine had left. "I'll just carefully fly off in the same direction that he did, and see if I can catch a glimpse of what's going on. As long as he's okay I'll come right back."

If nothing else, the woman had done many wrongs to her, too. Many unspeakable wrongs. She'd taken away Niomi, got her framed for crimes she didn't commit, harassed her, held her captive inside a barn, and she had nothing but hatred for the woman. The bat +anima had been heavily involved in many of her companion's conflicts. Naturally, she didn't like death, especially any brought about by someone else's hands. The idea of it made her squirm, but she held no compassion for the raven, no remorse for the idea of her getting what she deserved, and she'd never think of Cooro any differently for doing what he had to. If he hadn't been going to finish her, there was even a part of her that would've wanted to do it, herself, as much as she hated to admit it. She didn't know if she would've been able to ever find peace with that wretched woman around.

Her mind made up, the girl took a last glance around to make sure that there was no one else nearby before shifting in her +anima form, letting her ears elongate and feeling webbed wings emerge from her shoulder blades in a familiar rush of heat.

Husky grabbed her arm before she could take off. "Wait! If you're going, then we'll go too!"

Nana shook her head. In truth, she didn't really want them to come along, either. "I'm the only one who can fly, though. Because of that, I can get there faster and get away easier if I have to flee. I just want to make this as quick as possible and come back."

The former guard hesitated a moment, quiet before finally letting go. As he did, he quickly headed back to the group's main bag of supplies and pulled something out of it before hurrying back. It was a well-made bow, with arrows also grasped in the boy's other hand. The girl blinked in surprise and bewilderment. It wasn't something they'd been carrying before.

"Here, take this." Her silver-haired companion instructed, holding the weapon out to her. His gaze was down, as if he was almost slightly ashamed. "I… When we came across all guard's who'd been taken out in the palace, I grabbed a few weapons and supplies from them as we passed by and put them in our pack. It's…not like they'd be needing them anymore, anyway." His gaze perked up just slightly. "That hit you made with that old slingshot back in the barn was quite something! With an aim like that, I thought you might be able to make good use of a bow…if you end up needing it."

Nana looked down for a moment, her nails digging into her palm, before taking the weapon. "Thanks." She nodded gratefully. Having a better way to defend herself did make her feel a bit more secure. "I'll be back in just a few minutes."

With that, she spread her bat-like wings out behind her, and carefully flew off in the direction her dark-haired companion had last disappeared in, following a grim trail of crimson liquid and black feathers that lead down a coastal alleyway with her heart aching heavily.

* * *

After anxiously hovering her way along the crimson path and seeing nothing for a good while longer than she expected, something finally caught the bat +anima's eye.

There was a gleam coming from beneath the wall of one of the buildings, and just ahead a large, messy pool of red was spread out over the ground, breaking the pattern of the trail she'd been tracing. Twitching in alarm and disgust, Nana turned her attention first to whatever was gleaming against the ground.

Squinting in its direction, she cautiously came to a landing not far from it, glancing around to make sure there was no sign of Catherine before approaching.

Her careful walk turned into a run the second she realized what she was looking at, her already nervous heart all at once thudding up into her chest as she rushed towards the object and grabbed it.

Sure enough, it was Cooro's pendant. The chain that had kept it around his neck was broken, and the centerpiece had a crack running up the middle. There was no light left in it.

Her hands shaking as she clung to the object tighter, she spat out words that many probably wouldn't have considered appropriate coming from a young lady's mouth. Or anyone's, for that matter.

The pendant. The one that was supposed to keep Cooro safe from the raven's influence. She'd found it broken in the alleyway. What did…that mean? Even if her mind knew, her heart wasn't about to admit it.

Panicking, she quickly spun her gaze around again. "Cooro?" She called out frantically, her voice starting to break. "Cooro?"

"Nana."

She instantly tensed at the familiar voice, not actually having expected a response. "Cooro!" She caught sight of a black-winged figure that she'd recognize anywhere, even though it was turned away from her, as she spun her gaze again in the direction of the answer. He hadn't been there just a moment ago…had he come down from one of the buildings? …How long had he been watching her?

Though the logical part of her mind screamed with alarm, the girl was unable to stop herself from moving towards him, her trembling legs picking up speed. "…Cooro?"

She only froze in place when he turned around, seeing his face for the first time as he moved to face her. His gaze was empty and glazed – the stare of a dead man.

Those weren't his eyes, but she recognized them. They were the same ones that looked out from Catherine's face, and that she'd seen on his once before on that horrible morning in the prison cell. …It was that same cold, soulless gaze.

She only had a moment to react as he thrust his palm out in her direction, sending out a blade of sharpened wind as a cold grin possessed his face.

The girl threw herself to the side, but she wasn't fast enough. She let out a pained cry as the attack clipped her left side.

No…

Everything seemed like it was happening in slow motion as the young woman struggled to stay standing, instinctively gripping her new wound as the crow +anima neared. She shivered under his gaze again as she forced herself to look up. His dead eyes…the girl knew that no human soul was looking out from behind them. That lifeless stare made her sick.

"C…Cooro! No… No!" She wailed as she took an instinctive step back as he continued to approach. "You can't…! Not now… Not now!" Her own eyes were already starting to dampen. "We were so close! This can't…! Where's Catherine? What…what happened?"

She never got an answer. Instead, the boy just raised his palm again once he was close enough, sending out yet another attack in her direction.

This time it was aimed for her neck.

Screaming, the girl made a frantic duck, only losing a few strands of hair as she felt the sharpened blade of wind rush over her head. "Cooro! Cooro, stop!" She cried out desperately, but he never made any sign he'd even heard her, except perhaps the slight upturning of his lips.

The crow +anima sent out yet another assault, this time the girl practically having the throw herself to the ground to escape. He showed no sign of stopping. Her gaze wet and blurry, and her body shaking wildly, she had no choice but to run.

Turning towards him, Nana let out one of her bat-like screeches, hoping it would stun him just long enough for her to take to the air. She never looked back to see, but it seemed like it worked, the girl managing to get herself in the sky before she heard the sound of another set of wings, louder but slower than the frantic pacing of her smaller webbed ones, appear behind her.

"Stop, please Cooro! Stop!" She wailed again, trying to stay out of sight despite everything. She figured the crow +anima would follow her. With peace only just negotiated between the humans and +anima, she couldn't risk letting themselves be seen. …If he neared the town, she was afraid he might hurt someone… …And he'd feel horrible about such a thing later, she told herself, though the boy still made no response to her words.

He let out another blade of wind from behind her, the girl shrieking as it clipped her left leg and left a large, crimson gash. Another followed only moments after, just barely breezing past her left shoulder with a force that almost knocked her out of the sky.

She was being barraged. Face wet, body trembling, and heart racing, the girl had no idea what to do. His attacks were too fast and frequent. The person she was fighting wasn't a normal person, and there was no sign that any of her words were reaching the friend that she loved.

Her eyes instinctively closed, just for a moment, as a ragged sob finally escaped her throat.

But, that was when she realized something.

Something registered in her mind, taking form there in that instant. She wasn't seeing it with her closed gaze, but she was seeing something, something from behind her, with her mind.

Or, more specifically, with her ears.

Her bat-like ears were picking up the windborne vibrations and airy whistle of her threat's attacks, and with her gaze closed, it suddenly came into focus within her mind's eye. There was a wind blade coming right towards her from her upper left.

She comprehended it in an instant as the instincts that came with the ability of echolocation took over, the girl making a last minute dodge to the right and avoiding the hit all together this time.

Nana kept her eyes closed now, focusing instead on what she could see all around her with her ears. She dodged the next assault with surprising grace, and avoided the one that followed with equal ease.

She could make out his every attack before it came even close to hitting her! If she concentrated, she could even make out his position from the sound the beating of his wings created behind her.

Feeling a new found love for her +anima, she smiled just slightly in spite of herself, leading the boy out over the ocean in an attempt to avoid the city. She let out a few screeches of her own every so often as she carefully dodged his attacks, using the echoes to make sure she wasn't going to hit the water or smack into anything unexpectedly.

She heard the crow +anima give an annoyed groan of frustration from behind her as she avoided yet another one of his wind blades by taking an airborne dip. He probably didn't comprehend how she was suddenly able to dodge his hits with such precision when she'd been a mess only moments ago. She suddenly wished she'd realized what her ears were fully capable of years earlier…it was a shame that it had taken a situation like this. But any happiness or relief she momentarily felt quickly dissipated.

Cooro…

…What could she do about Cooro? He was still following her, still stubbornly trying the same tactic, no matter how many attacks she avoided, and it didn't seem he'd relent any time soon. But there was no way she could attempt to fight him off! The Cooro she knew couldn't be gone! He couldn't be! This had happened to him before in the prison…and he'd come back then. He'd come back now. He had to. She felt the tears running down her cheeks again. She refused to accept anything else.

But this wasn't going anywhere.

Using her echolocation, she maneuvered herself towards the direction of the shoreline. She absently wondered if they were anywhere near Husky and Senri, but she couldn't afford the thought much time in her concentration of watching the air blades.

Instead, she was looking for something else, heading towards an area with coastal caverns. Her lips upturned just slightly again when she saw what she'd been looking for. One of the cliffs had what appeared to be an entrance to a cave. Perfect.

The dark was her territory. No matter how long it had taken her to accept it, such a place was where she was at her best, where her +anima was meant to be used.

There was no way to tell how big the cavern was from where she flew, but she hoped it would be large enough to lure him inside. She hovered over the damp beach area, watching the sound of crow wings beating behind her to make sure that Cooro, or whatever it currently was behind her, was following.

…Before entering the cave, she had to take care of one thing first.

Taking the first brief opening she could find, she spun her gaze back in his direction, letting out a screech for echolocation as she got a clearer sound picture of the crow +anima's familiar form. Trembling, she held out her bow in the direction of his right wing.

Her hands shook as she tried to align the shot she wanted – just the tip of his wing. She had played with a bow before, again back with the other children who'd grown up working for Niomi, but she felt unsure of the arrow in her hand.

She had to be careful with this shot. She didn't want to hit his head or his chest. Nothing permanent, certainly nothing fatal. All she wanted was to temporarily inhibit his ability to fly.

After all, she didn't want to do anything that would make her companion suffer too much. He'd be back to normal soon, and she wanted to make sure he'd recover from this just like he had from everything else they'd been through. She felt the lump in her throat again.

Another moment passed, all she had, before the girl let the arrow fly. She practically held her breath, but the shot pierced through just the corner of his right wing, exactly as she'd hoped.

She looked away as he flinched in surprise and pain, the boy starting to lose his catch on the air and slowly being forced down to the watery sands below in a clumsy mess of fluttering wings.

Taking the moment and advantage she'd earned, Nana wasted no time in heading for the dimness of the cavern without glancing back.

* * *

The caverns were indeed dark within, especially as she followed the twists and turns that lead deeper inside. She didn't know where it ended, but she kept padding further in. It was a narrow space, but as long as she didn't follow any particularly thin paths, she figured that she'd still be able to fly if she needed to. After all, she wanted to use every advantage she had.

She was currently letting her wings rest, but she winced slightly as she walked. The floor of the cavern was dotted with puddles of sea water collected with each passing tide, and the salt made the gash on her left leg sting. The shifting water also made the sound of her footsteps more noticeable, but she wasn't too worried about that – with her bat-like ears still out, she figured that she'd be able to hear her follower's feet moving through the tide-pools before he was close enough to hear hers.

Indeed, it was a minute or two later she first heard footsteps disturbing the puddles near the entrance. He'd followed her in just as she'd expected. She tensed, tightening her grip on her weapon again. Fighting wasn't her only intention, though. She had to find some way to snap him out of this! She had to… But that didn't mean she could let her guard down, either.

The footsteps continued getting closer, but they also become messier the more they neared, the boy clearly fumbling a bit in the increasing dimness. Eventually, a small, red flame appeared from somewhere behind her, making Nana blink in surprise. He was using his power to create a flame to help himself see! She quickly realized, the boy holding the unnatural flame in his illuminated palm. But that made him stand out like white against black to her, his flame the only point of light in the cavern.

She wasted no more time. Lifting up her bow, she used her echolocation for precision as she launched another arrow well to his left, the weapon rushing right passed him and embedding itself into the surface of the rough, clay-like wall, as she'd hoped. The crow +anima instantly startled as it whirled by, not having been able to see her up ahead far enough to anticipate the strike. His gaze instinctively followed the arrow, though, just for a brief moment. It would've only been a second before his eyes whipped instead to her direction, but the girl didn't waste the quick flash of time that his eyes were turned away.

Nana dropped the bow and charged him from behind with her now outstretched wings, catching him off guard with a screech before he could turn around. The boy instinctively moving his hands to his stinging ears, she grabbed him by his upper arms as he raised them, spinning the disoriented figure around and pushing him up against the same wall the arrow had hit.

It took all her strength as he struggled, but she fought to keep his arms down. As long as he couldn't use his palms, he couldn't attack, right? That seemed to be how he and Catherine channeled their abilities. "Cooro!" She wailed again, trying to force herself to catch his cold, almost lifeless gaze.

"Don't touch me you human filth!" The crow +anima wriggled angrily beneath her grasp, avoiding her eyes and spitting out words that she tried her best to ignore as he attempted to kick her away and bite her hands. She was actually relieved at his frailty for once. When it came purely to physical strength, he wasn't much to contend with – had she been facing Husky or Senri she wouldn't have been so lucky. Despite his fighting, she'd so far managed to keep him held against the wall.

That ended, though, when he all at once did manage to sink his teeth into her palm, the girl letting out a surprised, pained cry as she impulsively let go. No! She couldn't let him get his hands free! Not having more than a moment to think before she'd surely be hit with one of his wind blades or other unpleasant assaults, she reached almost instinctively for one of the two small knives still at her belt, taking out one of her more usual weapons.

In a single motion, she all at once thrust it through the boy's free arm, making him let out a horrible scream as his arm was pinned to the wall again, this time by the dagger embedded both through his flesh and the clay. Nana didn't fully realize what she'd done until she felt warm crimson splash over her dress and his cry registered in her mind. "Cooro!" She shrieked herself, her hands starting to tremble faster. She'd just…

The boy tried frantically to dislodge both his arm and the knife piercing through it from the wall as he gave a few more agonized wails, but it was embedded too deeply, not budging despite his painful efforts. Instead, he managed to all at once rip the one still held down by Nana free in her momentary state of shock.

"I'm sorry Cooro!" The girl wailed, recovering just in time to frantically repeat the process with his other arm as he suddenly found it pinned to the wall with her other dagger. Nana closed her eyes. "I'm so sorry…" She sobbed as he let out another shriek and more red stained her clothes. "So sorry…"

This didn't feel real. It felt like some sort of horrid nightmare, like her body was moving on its own and she was watching as the observer to someone else's actions and pain. She wished she'd wake up to find both herself and Cooro somewhere safe with the others, perhaps in an inn or on the ship taking them home. She didn't care where! She just wanted them all to be together and safe again! She wanted that more than anything. But all she had was the present. All she had was this. She wanted her hope back. She wanted this to be over!

"Cooro!" She repeated again with her voice still broken, moving her now free hands over to his face in an effort to keep him from looking away as he kept struggling in vain to yank his arms free. "Stop, please… You can't do this now! You can't! You said all of this would be over!" Water dripped down from her eyes as she forced herself to meet his own, the dark brown orbs that were both painfully familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. "The war is over, too! We could all be happy again! Cooro…you said that you'd come back with me to the orchard, remember? We'll finally be able to live in peace, Cooro! That's what we always wanted, isn't it, even back when we were children?" His cold gaze became indistinct behind the fog that was covering her own, but she kept her eyes in the same place, not flinching away from him. "We've all done so much for you… We did because you're a part of our family…the only one we all have! Because we want you with us! I don't want to go back without you! I won't! Don't you remember what Meora said? Her last words? Cooro please…come back…"

She could only pray that her words would somehow reach him. Not the creature struggling against her now, but the familiar human suppressed somewhere inside. After all, her desperate words had found their way to him before.

But this time the inhuman eyes staring back at her showed no sign of changing. There wasn't so much as a shift as he glared emptily and defiantly back at her, no matter how many times she called out or what she said. He didn't say anything, but there was no hint of recognition or emotion of any sort. "Cooro…?" She repeated again, her tears falling faster as her voice shook.

"Stop it, girl. Haven't you mocked me enough?" His voice was cold and indifferent as he finally spoke. "Sister wants me to bring her your head…and I'm going to prove myself to her again. If you want to survive….you'll kill me now." There was just a slight shift in his voice as he finished. Perhaps there was a small part of him that wanted that alternative, but Nana didn't seem to notice, her eyes wide and aghast.

The bat +anima shook her head violently. "N…no!" There was a part of her that seethed in anger. He really…wanted to kill her? She was mocking _him_? If everything had been nothing but a lie, then it was definitely the other way around. But despite the cruelty in his voice and words, she still didn't believe that. _This isn't our Cooro. _She struggled to remind herself. He didn't want this. He'd told her that himself, and she'd seen it in his eyes and heard it in his voice. He'd lived his life for the last three years terrified of this, trying to fight it. There was no possible way she could… "I'm not giving up on you that easily!"

"Nana!"

The girl's startled gaze all at once spun at the sound of the other familiar voice. "Husky?" She called back in surprise, looking away from the crow +anima's frightening eyes long enough to see two figures approach in the orange glow of a piece of lit driftwood. Her other two companions had joined them.

"Nana!" The silver-haired young man repeated again, picking up his speed as he approached. "What the heck's going on? We saw you guys fly by and –" He all at once cut off as he saw what he was looking at in the almost deceptively soft glow of their torch, making out the shapes of the girl's tear-stained face, crimson-stained clothes, and the boy pinned up against the wall with her knives. Both of their eyes widened as their jaws started to drop. "C…Cooro…?" The former guard sputtered in a mixture of horror and disbelief.

The instant Nana looked away and focused on her other companions was all it took for the crow to manage to land a kick, his boot all at once hitting her hard in the stomach as she dropped away with a cry.

"Nana!" Just as Husky and Senri were about to rush up to the crow +anima still struggling beneath the daggers and the downed bat-like girl, yet another set of footsteps sounded, making all four gazes turn back in the direction of the entrance. Apparently Husky and Senri weren't the only one's who'd followed the two of them.

Panting for breath as she struggled to pull herself off the ground, a moment passed before Nana was able to use her echolocation to confirm what she already expected. "Catherine!" She yelled out, her voice like venom. "You witch! You disgusting witch! What did you do? Give him back to us!" She demanded desperately. Catherine was indeed still alive – she must've somehow managed to break her companion's pendant, before he could…

The now wingless woman just let out a small laugh as she approached. "Why would I, girl? I'm the one who's been trying to save him for longer than you'll ever even live! I'm afraid you're luck ran out, this time. It's just like the way his human façade started slipping away more and more each time he used his wings. This time it's gone. It won't be coming back." She was still limping, but she managed to approach the boy pinned against the wall.

"Sister…" He muttered weakly, looking slightly ashamed.

Catherine stood in front of him protectively, all at once pulling the blades from his arms in quick, single motions. The young man let out a few more cries, more crimson scattering as each was removed, but he was finally free! "Pathetic. It seems you're even rustier than I imagined." The woman scolded as he finally slipped down, but there was a slight smile on her face. He momentarily leaned against the wall and grasped at his wounds, but looked up as she spoke again, an eagerness in her voice. "But I'll give you credit for trying this time. Help me now."

The crow +anima all at once lifted a palm in the direction of his three former companions as the woman did the same with a smirk.

Husky let out a curse, before frantically grabbing Nana's hand from where she lay partially propped up in the damp cavern floor. "Come on, we have to run! We can't fight them both!"

Not giving her an option, he pulled her up and started running, pulling her along behind him as Senri quickly followed down the narrow tunnel.

"Cooro!" Nana screamed, hearing a couple wind blades hit against a wall behind them as they made a quick turn.

"There's nothing we can do right now!" Husky insisted, still gripping her arm tightly. "If we stay we'll just be killed!"

Nana knew he was right, but that didn't stop the salty drops of water obscuring her vision and the sobs racking her throat. …Why had this had to happen? Why?

The three fled as fast as they could, heading back towards the entrance of the cavern and escaping into the city this time. They had nowhere else to go.

* * *

_All he knew was blackness, a dark, smothering haze burying him and obscuring his senses. …Where…was this? _

_Cooro had fallen unconscious quickly after the three faces he recognized so well had disappeared, his frail body exhausted and throbbing from the pain in his arms. But a small part of his mind was still awake, still awake somewhere within the cloud of darkness that was covering the rest of his consciousness. A small, weak part that was fading away, slowly slipping and being swallowed up by that same blackness. A blackness that it wasn't strong enough to deny anymore…_

_Was this even real…? Perhaps this remaining flicker was nothing but a memory…perhaps it was nothing but a dream. But it still managed to form a thought weakly inside his head._

"_Hey…Cathe…rine…?"_

_No answer, though he was sure his thought would've reached her. As much as this part of him had always hated to admit it, there was a connection that only they shared. All those nights he'd spent shivering, fearing that she would come…many of them had been spent with her words and calls echoing in his head._

"…_Catherine…why?"_

"_Why what?" _

_There it was. The cold, simple response he'd been expecting. _

"_Why are you…doing this…? When I…when I wanted to end this differently…why didn't you accept it? I saw it in your eyes…there was a part of you that wanted to…"_

_How much he wished now that he hadn't trusted her! Perhaps he'd been a fool to believe that she'd really wanted to change, perhaps whatever remaining innocence he'd had left had betrayed him. But…there had been something there…something in her gaze and her voice. He'd sworn he'd seen it!_

"_You're mistaken. I just saw an opportunity to take advantage of your human foolishness. This is all I've ever thought about wanting…I'd never want to fall into the disgusting facade that you did."_

"_You're lying."_

_No answer._

"_I know that a part of you wanted that happiness… Happiness like I had…"_

"_Do I still have to say it? Creatures like us can feel neither happiness nor pain. We're above it. I've never felt it, and I've never desired it. I'm not like you."_

"_If that's true…then why are you so sad…?"_

_There was a pause._

"_I'm not."_

"_You are. Don't forget that I'm as much connected with you as you're connected with me…especially now. I can feel that much. …You were lonely, weren't you? That's one of the reasons why you would never let me go…"_

"…_Lonely?" There was a laugh. "Don't fool yourself into thinking that this had anything to do with you. It's about the power you carry. Power that we split between us! I will make sure you fulfill your agreement with me, that is all."_

"_But I saw you cry…that's something only humans can do… That's why I… You say that you can't feel any pain, but that's not true. You've just been pushing it down…covering it up with other excuses."_

"_Shut up! Fade away like you're supposed to and stop making up such pathetically human lies!"_

_The voice was scalding._

"…_Anger is just a form of pain too, you know. Rage is just as human as happiness. Yet that's what you're burying everything behind. …It's not about our original goal anymore, is it?" There was a pause, the boy only just realizing something for himself. Something he suddenly couldn't believe he'd never realized earlier. "…You already became human a long time ago…didn't you?"_

"_Shut up!" Catherine seethed again. "If you think that I'm the least bit like you, you're even more foolish than I thought! All that matters to me is our power, our goal!"_

"_But you don't really care about that anymore. It's nothing more than an excuse now! An excuse to chase after me…and excuse to avoid guilt! A hollow purpose. …You just can't stand to see anyone happy. You couldn't stand to see me happy. A part of you was jealous of the happiness that I'd found…wasn't it? A happiness that you thought you could never have. But you never even tried! You could've found your own happiness, but you were too afraid…too afraid to face the guilt of everything you've done and the emotions you've denied for so long… You were too afraid to fight for your happiness like I did…so you hid behind your own self-fooling disguise of anger and hatred. …I wasn't the one wearing a mask."_

"_Stop it!"_

"_But the world never rejected you, Catherine… You rejected it. I know why we came here…but I've found something better. Something so much better! We were the fools before. We've done a lot of unspeakable things, horrible things…" The voice momentarily trailed off. "I hate you. I hate you more than I ever thought it was possible to hate someone. …But if I deserved the second chance I was fighting for…then you do, as well. We can still find our own happiness, Catherine, if you rip off your own mask…if you…" _

"_Shut up! Be quiet! Just stop…!" _

_The boy thought he could hear a sob. Whether it was echoing through his mind like the rest of her words, or reaching him through his ears, he wasn't sure._

"…_Catherine…"_

_There was both a sympathy and a desperation in his voice as the sniffling continued._

"_Sister… Please…"_

"_No! You're wrong! You're wrong! You're wrong! Falling into those human emotions for so long has done something to your mind! Go away! Go away and leave me my brother!"_

_With that, Cooro thought he could feel a sweaty hand touch his head again, stirring just slightly from the blackness of unconsciousness before he all at once felt a wave of pain that brought it back stronger. He let out a scream that he wasn't sure ever left his lips._

_That last fragment of light was snuffed out._

* * *

Nana collapsed face first into one of the two beds, pulling her face partly into the sheets as the white cloth beneath her dampened with the tears left on her face. The sobbing had stopped, replaced by a heavy, aching numbness, but her body and breathing still quavered, and one would occasionally sneak from her lips as she laid there in the dim room.

Not knowing what else to do, her, Husky, and Senri had fled to the outskirts of the capital city, stopping at an inn they'd come across there. Even though it was towards the end of Astar, it was the largest they'd ever stayed at, with four long stories and literally hundreds of rooms. They'd been given one in the far side of the top floor, complete with two beds, two dressers, and several sets of plush chairs. It'd cost more than they should really have paid for, but they hadn't even stopped to think about that.

It was luxurious. Had they come here under different circumstances, they really could've enjoyed themselves.

…But there was no way he could find them here, right?

"…Cooro…" Nana moaned sadly, her voice barely audible with lips pressed against the bedspread. She was barely aware of what was going on. Her mind was still there in that cave with him, going over what he'd said and done again and again. It went beyond that, too, her thoughts extending to the times they'd shared that ranged from just earlier that day to eight years ago. It only made the present that much more painful. How could that monster really be the same person?

She needed to get up. It was getting towards evening and the room was dark, someone needed to light the candles. Her stomach ached in hunger and she needed something to eat. She needed to bandage the gash on her leg. She needed to change…her clothes were tainted with crimson, crimson that was surely spreading to the sheets, painting red stains with her own blood and his. But she couldn't do anything. It was as if there was no strength left in her body at all and her will was too weak to do anything about it. So she just laid there.

The young woman barely noticed the weight of the mattress shift when her oldest companion sat down next to her. "…Nana…" He muttered quietly, placing a familiar, gentle hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her in his usual, almost wordless way. Senri…he was like an older brother to her, and he'd been her shoulder to cry on countless times. But this time she was too lost in her thoughts to even look up, no matter how badly she wanted to.

"Damn it!" Husky cursed, followed by the sound of something breaking against the wall. Startling, she raised her eyes just slightly, catching sight of her silver-haired companion panting for breath with fists clenched. In the hint of remaining light seeping in through the drawn curtains, she thought she could see dampness shimmering in his own gaze.

Staring absently at the now broken vase that he'd likely have to pay for, the former guard struggled to regain control of his continually raising breath. Clutching his own arms tightly, he was the first to speak more than a name since they'd fled. "…What are we going to do?"

He didn't get any answer, Nana let her eyes fall lower again and even Senri's gaze drooped downwards.

"Cooro's after us, right? Maybe we should just take Meora's boat back the fortress, like we planned originally. If we stay here he's bound to find us eventually! At least there there's a lot more people." He suggested, his voice tense.

"We can't leave without him!" Nana insisted tearfully, finally speaking up herself. "Besides, how will he know where we are? It was him and Catherine who had the link to each other… We can't go! We have to save him!"

"Nana…didn't you see his eyes? He's gone! …I…I don't think we'll be able to get him to go back to how he was this time. It's like that witch said…you told us yourself that he seemed to sink further away from his humanity each time he used his +anima."

"Don't say that!" The girl spat, a mixture of anger and grief written on her face. "He'll come back…just like he did before. He'll be himself again. He has to…"

"…I wish I could believe that, too. I…" Husky's voice momentarily trailed off, the young man fighting to find the right words and struggling to force them to leave his lips. "But I think we need to be prepared for the worst… For all we know, he might follow us even if we did take the ship. It…it might come down to us…having to…"

He didn't manage to finish, his words cut off by the lump in his tightening throat, but what he'd been trying to say was painfully clear. _It might come down to us having to kill him._

Nana's eyes widened. "Stop it! Don't even – ! How can you talk like that! Cooro's –"

"Do you think I want this anymore than you do?" He spat back almost accusingly, his own voice rising. "Cooro…we may not have always gotten along perfectly since we met again…but he was still my best friend, he was more of a brother to me than any of those idiots at Sailand's palace ever were…" His voice trailed off again, his words shaky and eyes watery. His relationship with the boy had been somewhat strained since their reunion, but he really did care about him. He didn't want anyone to ever think otherwise. He never would've done so much to try to help him if he hadn't truly considered him family. "We did everything for Cooro! We tried to help him fight this battle! We did everything we possibly could! And it still ended like this… He still lost… One thing I'm not willing to do for him is too let him kill us first…"

Nana opened her mouth to speak again, but Husky continued before she could manage to get anything out.

"And you know that would only make _our_ Cooro miserable! He wouldn't want that! If it came down to it, I think he'd rather we'd…" He raised his eyes directly to Nana's. "You know that! You know that more than anyone!"

The girl never managed to bring herself to answer, simply pulling her eyes away from his as she started to sob again.

Husky let out a sigh, his voice still shaking. "…Let's…just get some sleep for tonight, while we're safe."

He didn't want to talk about it anymore, either.

A sad, awkward silence fell over the three +anima, the two remaining males settling restlessly into the other bed while Nana remained in hers, never getting up.

* * *

There was a loud thump from somewhere above her, making Nana groggily look up with stiff eyes.

It was quiet again after that, the room still and dark. The lack of light seeping in from under the curtain told her that it wasn't yet dawn, and the only sounds she could make out were the slumbering breaths of the two companions who were still with her. She felt slightly disoriented as she glanced around, but wasn't sure whether she'd ever really been asleep or not.

Blinking, she kept her gaze upwards again, subconsciously letting her bat-ears appear once more as she twitched them anxiously. They were on the fourth and topmost floor – their roof was exposed to the night air. Perhaps it'd only been the wind…perhaps a branch had fallen or something placed on the roof had toppled over.

It was when she'd just about managed to convince herself of that that another sound came. It was softer, but this time it repeated, slowly traveling across the area above her.

The girl all at once tensed, her heart starting to pound.

"…Guys…" She whispered in alarm, barely able to get her voice to work. "Guys…!"

"…Wha…?" Husky moaned groggily, clearly still worn and exhausted from the way he was clutching his forehead. Senri slowly stirred alongside him. They didn't quite seem to have caught the note of urgency in her voice.

"Footsteps… There's footsteps!" She explained breathlessly, still looking up towards the roof.

This time the two males instantly tensed as well, instinctively following her gaze.

They heard the pattering echoing down from the roof continue themselves for just a moment longer, before it all at once stopped.

There was a silence, one that stretched on for a few moments. Nothing more sounded.

The three +anima were still, slowly exchanging nervous, bewildered glances with each other.

Then the glass of the room's only window all at once shattered with a terrible clang.

Nana screamed, the sound making her sensitive ears throb and her heart all at once jump up into her chest , momentarily stealing her breath away. Even Senri let out a slight yelp, all three of them startled out of their wits.

Husky was already out of bed by the time a figure dropped into the room from behind the curtain, through the new gap in the glass. Nana didn't even have to open her eyes to know who it was, a cold sense of dread weighing down her stomach as she forced her eyelids up.

It was hard to make out details in the dim room, but the silhouette standing by the broken window was relatively tall but far too skinny, the paleness of its somewhat sickly complexion barely visible against the darker backdrop, and two dark, feathered shapes extended from behind its shoulders like great shadows.

"Cooro!" She jumped out of bed herself without even realizing it.

The silhouette just took a few steps closer, his familiar features becoming slightly more visible. Nothing in his eerily soulless eyes had changed.

"H…how…?" Nana sputtered, her voice shaking again. "…How did you find us? It was you and Catherine who…"

A slight smirk came over the face of the black-winged figure. "Don't you remember, Nana dear?" He mocked, almost sounding slightly amused. "I've always been able to sense the presence of other +anima, even before the rest of my abilities manifested. Now, that ability has only grown stronger. Surely you wouldn't think I'd forget the feel of presences so familiar as yours? Unlike the bond between me and Sister, I have to be nearby, but flying above the city in search of your +anima fingerprints was easy enough. I'm surprised you weren't expecting me."

Nana's mouth hung open slightly, her other two companions looking equally taken aback. That's right! Even when they'd all been but children, Cooro had always had the odd ability to sense when other +anima were nearby. And not only that, he'd been able to sense who the anima belonged to, as well. In the midst of everything else, she'd completely forgotten! None of them had ever suspected that such a perception could be a hint at something more sinister to come. None of them had really thought much of it at the time. …Perhaps they should've.

"Cooro…please…" She pleaded, her voice broken. She didn't even know what to say this time, so she just begged, her hazy mind struggling to form words on her tongue. "Please…please stop! Please don't make us hurt you! I don't want…"

The boy laughed. "Hurt me? That's one thing you don't have to worry about. I'm not going to let you humiliate me like last time!" There was a bandage around the small wound on his wing – which likely explained how he was still able to fly – and two others wrapped around the jagged gashes Nana had left in his upper arms. He gave a slight wince as he raised his right arm, unable to hide the pain despite his best attempts, but he still managed to hold his palm out steadily.

And this time there was no hesitation.

"Nana, duck down!"

Husky's frantic voice must've registered somewhere in the back of her mind, the girl diving down to the floor with another scream as a sharpened blade of wind whirled through the room, barely missing the top of her skull.

But the bat +anima heard a loud crack and a startled cry from the boy himself just moments after, opening her frightened green eyes to see blood dripping down the side of the black-winged figure's face, shards of the room's previously only remaining vase gathered around his feet. His eyes were closed as he tried to swat away the crimson from his wincing brow.

"We have to run – come on!" Husky called again, already rushing to the door in the brief amount of time they had before Cooro recovered.

Giving him just a last look, Nana pulled her eyes away, quickly darting after her other two companions with shaky legs as they all ran blindly out of the guest room and into the inn hallway.

"We can't risk causing a scene here – after all, the war with the +anima only just ended. If we shake people up the government may end up reconsidering." Husky reminded as they moved. It seemed like he'd already given this some thought ahead of time. "Let's lead him back out into the alleys."

Sure enough, they heard footsteps hounding behind them, eventually shifting to the sound of quickly beating wings. Luckily they ran into no one else – at whatever late hour this was, it seemed that all the other guests and workers were asleep – but with this chaos, who knew how long that would last.

Panting as they rushed down the stairs, they didn't dare look back, Nana able to clearly hear the wingbeats gaining on them as her elongated ears appeared and twitched. They kept their thoughts focused on the exit, darting back out into the cold night air and rushing frantically down the first corner they came across.

And none too soon, either. As soon as they made the turn, a wind blade sounded behind them, smacking into the wall they'd just passed. Even outside the confines of the inn, they woudn't be able to escape their winged threat.

"Nana, give me an arrow!" Husky all at once demanded, not actually waiting for an answer as he reached into the bag that was still tied to the flustered girl's waist and quickly pulled out one of the arrows he'd handed her earlier. In their panic, the former guard only just realized now that he'd left his bladed staff back in their inn room. But fighting back was the only option that they had now. He wouldn't let the crow +anima become to them what Catherine had been to him.

Darting away from Nana and Senri before either of them could say anything, or even fully comprehend what was happening, Husky moved to the opposite wall, slinking along it quickly until he reached the edge of the corner with the sharp arrow gripped tightly in his sweaty palms.

With the former guard obscured by the angle of the brick surface, Cooro never saw him there as he ran to make the turn.

Before he could, the fish +anima jumped him, leaping from his hiding place in a single, strong motion as the crow let out a startled cry. He was knocked to the ground, his former companion's weight to heavy for his frail form to stand against as both +anima toppled over to the ground. Husky immediately made sure that his arms were held down once more, forcibly controlling his weight to keep the dark-haired boy pinned down against the grimy alley street.

"What are you waiting for? Help me keep him down!" He yelled back in the direction of his other companions, who'd now stopped and turned to stare with wide eyes. "Come on!" He prompted frantically as the young man below him fought and thrashed.

Only one brief moment passed before Senri and Nana both rushed up to them, grabbing the crow-winged boy's shoulders and already injured arms.

With all of them holding him down, the physically weak +anima was no match for his former three companions even with his abilities activated, having no choice but to lie beneath them helplessly. No matter how many shouts or curses he uttered, he was completely overpowered by their combined weight.

He just glared up at them, his eyes as cold and defiant as ever despite the warm, salty drops of water that he felt hit his face. Nana made no attempt to wipe them away as they kept falling from her eyes, keeping her gaze angled down at him.

"Cooro…stop… Please stop… Come back to us again." This time her tired, unsteady voice was hardly more than whisper. "This isn't you. This isn't what you want. I know it isn't…so…"

The boy only grimaced, all at once giving a last, unexpected burst of strength that allowed one of his arms to break through the girl's quavering grip for just a moment. It was Senri who reacted quickly, managing to grab it and pin it back down in a quick, hard motion that left everyone out of breath.

Husky pulled out the arrow he'd taken, his own eyes damp and impossibly sad as he positioned it just above the crow +anima's neck. This time even his lifeless gaze widened. "Please Cooro…don't make me do this."

Nana's tears only started falling faster. "No! Don't! You can't – "

"Then what do you suggest we do?" He spat back, still keeping his trembling grip on the arrow. "…I think this might be all we can do for him now…"

"No!" Nana screamed again, though she had no other answer. But this… This was too sad. This wasn't how things were supposed to be. She couldn't accept it. She wouldn't!

The girl moved up her right hand, frantically trying to grasp the arrow away again from the former guard.

She was slapped back with surprising force, recoiling back a ways with a startled whelp.

"Nana…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, but…" Husky bit his lip as he moved his gaze from her back down to Cooro, who was still glaring back up at him, unmoving. If he decided to bring down that arrow now, there was nothing that he could do to stop him, and the crow himself clearly knew that. The former guard had to struggle to keep his trembling fingers wrapped around it, his vision blurring beneath the sweaty strands of his silver hair.

There was nothing else they could do… There was nothing.

Because they'd already done everything.

Water dampened the former guard's own gaze, making his view of the arrow and its target below him mist up even more.

This was so much like the time he'd faced his childhood companions as part of the guard squadron, but this time it wasn't the eyes of his old friend staring up at him. This was different.

He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to do this…but… That wasn't Cooro anymore. His childhood friend was already dead. He told himself that over and over as he tried to force his hands to move.

But they wouldn't. His trembling grip remained still, the violent shaking running through them throwing off his unsteady aim.

"I can't…" He whispered, so quietly that the words barely left his lips.

That was when he felt something sharp smack into his side, the boy all at once screaming as the pain caught up a moment later.

He'd been hit with a wind blade, the fish +anima instinctively throwing his gaze to its source.

Catherine was limping up to them, her eyes full of unspeakable frustration and rage. Apparently she'd still been following him, unwilling to give up yet.

Senri and Nana, pulling herself up, turned to face her as well. This time they hardly looked surprised, but their eyes were filled with cold dread.

Then something unexpected happened.

Still having managed to keep their grips on the crow +anima, both Husky and Senri all at once felt heat sear their palms, a strange glow suddenly lighting up from both Cooro's and Catherine's forms. The two instinctively let go, stumbling back.

The glow resembled a strange, dark fire, spreading a trail that stretched between the two of them, uniting the crow and the raven. In the center, right between them, it concentrated into what looked like some odd form of orb, shimmering with an unearthly light bright enough to illuminate most of the alleyway.

The other three +anima just stared for a moment, unable to move or speak. The sight sent shivers down their spines, momentarily leaving them breathless. It wasn't like anything they'd ever seen before.

Catherine, her eyes now glowing the same bright hue along with Cooro's, took a few steps closer to the crow, leaning down over him to yank him up.

"Sister, you…?" His face showed almost the same amazement as the other's. "You chained our power together again… Why did…?"

So long ago…too long ago for him to remember exactly when, the two of them had made an agreement to split the power they possessed together evenly between them, in order to make it more manageable for the weak, human forms they planned on assuming. But Catherine had ended the agreement. Their power was once again combined, the force of it flickering between them. Their power, concentrated together, was a force far greater than either of them could've mustered alone with it fully contained in their human bodies, but…

This form also came with other risks…

"I've had enough of this!" Catherine practically snarled, turning towards the other three again. It was clear that she'd lost much of her sense of reason. "This ends now!"

The flames around the two of them suddenly flared up, spreading to the ground as it all at once rushed the others in a huge, hot wave.

Their mouths agape in shock and confusion, Husky and Nana suddenly found themselves falling forward, towards the left of the alley and away from the strange, hot burst. It happened in an instant, the two of them not knowing what happened until they heard Senri let out a horrible scream as the wave connected with him. It was probably the loudest they'd ever heard his voice.

The bear +anima had shoved them away, but had been unable to avoid the assault himself.

He fell face forward, landing just a few inches away from them. His whole body was shaking, an occasional hot spark rippling through his clawed form.

"Senri!" Nana screamed in horror, pushing herself back up and bending over him.

Husky remained in place, halfway propped up by the alleyway's left wall. All he could do was stare. …Was this, his fault? What had Cooro and Catherine done? What were they doing? He absently moved his wide, stunned gaze towards the strange orb connecting them, the shape crackling and blazing unnaturally. …What on earth…? Why hadn't he finished this when he'd had the opening to, just a few moments ago?

It was only Nana's voice that threw him out of his reverie of questions. "He's alive! Husky, help me!" The girl called, trying to pull their oldest companion's injured form out of the line of fire as Catherine let out a strange giggle. Husky hurried to help, forcing his legs to move.

"I warned all of you, didn't I?" The formally black-winged woman mocked. "You could've just walked away so many times. But you lost your chance. I'll never fly again thanks to you – you took my wings away, so I'll take your very breath."

The next thing they felt was an absolute, searing pain, the bat and fish +anima letting out their own screams as a new wave connected with them, sending all three of them falling backwards.

Nana had to force her lungs to keep working as she struggled to raise her head, sharp, searing pain sparking through her body, pain that she had to fight with nearly every movement. She heard a laugh that wasn't Catherine's as her long ears gave a weak, instinctive twitch, a new rage giving her the strength to turn around and stare at the raven and the crow. The grin on Cooro's face hurt almost as bad as the fire coursing through her, her fingernails cutting into her already raw palms.

That thing between them…that strange light. Catherine had done _something_ to the two of them. They wear both stronger now… Why wouldn't that witch have unleashed their power like this before? There had to some reason why…

Then a memory suddenly found its way into her throbbing mind. Catherine had told her something once… In the back of her mind, she once more heard the words the woman had spoken to her back when she'd been holding her captive inside that old barn near the resort village.

_"I have no other weakness." _ Catherine announced with her usual smug grin, referring to her wings. _"Even though I don't have my abilities right now, I'm pretty safe if permanently getting rid of me is your goal. The only other way to purge me from this world is if you were to somehow deprive me of my power. But…my power and that of my brother is connected – if you were to try anything, your precious 'Cooro' would perish as well."_

There was another way to destroy them aside from severing their wings and then stopping their breath. Their power is what drove their existence. Their lifeforce. If it was to be destroyed, or if they were to be cut off from it…

That strange orb… Perhaps that was… Perhaps it was a symbol of their power, a core that they shared between them. Maybe that was why Catherine had been so hesitant to release it!

But Cooro's and Catherine's magic was one and the same. If it was really shattered, they would both…

They would both be destroyed.

Nana looked away, her tense fingers shaking and sorrow in her voice. "That orb…if it's destroyed, they'll both…" She breathed aloud, almost to herself, but Husky managed to catch her words. It was no longer a truth that she could keep to herself.

The boy just stared up at it, trying to force himself up as his body sparked painfully with the same force that Nana's did. Even Senri finally stirred, all three of them staring breathlessly at the raven and the crow as Husky all at once managed to toss the arrow he'd still held in his hand, the tip flying through the air towards the force connecting Cooro and Catherine.

But it never hit.

Their two empty-eyed foes held out their wrists, a burst of fire coming to life between them as the arrow fizzled away to ashes before it managed to find its target.

Catherine frowned, the two of them taking a few steps closer to the downed +anima as the fire they were brewing between them kept growing.

"You're pretty wise, aren't you? Looks like we better go ahead and end this game now." The witch chuckled, turning the fire now towards them. "Ashes to ashes, as they say."

The three +anima gasped at the sensation of heat, struggling in vain to move away. But there was nothing they could do.

They'd been backed against the left wall, their bodies too weak to resist as the fire between Catherine and their lost friend blazed higher. Any moment now, they'd release it. And then…

And then…

"Cooro, don't!" Nana shrieked in terror, what little strength she had left making her voice break.

* * *

_It was a strange feeling. A mixture of glee and horror._

_There was a wild, satisfied grin spread across Cooro's features as the fire he and his sister were preparing grew, ready to eat away the people who'd chained him to his own lie and free him of it once and for all._

_But somewhere, stirred up painfully once more by the terrified cry that'd left the girl's lips, there was another part of him. A part of him that wanted to scream along with them. And a part of him that would die as well._

No… No!

_All that small fragment could do was watch, as the rest of his own mind took over. His own cries never left his smiling lips and he couldn't even close his eyes._

_This was everything he'd feared all along. The fragment of grief within him now was nothing more than the faintest flicker, soon to be absorbed forever. And Husky, Senri… Nana… They would all… The only people who'd ever truly cared for or believed in him…that choice would cost them everything._

No…

_And there was nothing that small part of him could do._

_It was no longer strong enough – nothing but the faintest sense of guilt and loss remaining in his own body._

_He could feel the heat himself as the attack prepared, the power building up from within him and his sister as its strange light reflected across their faces. All they needed was a few more moments…and that wouldn't be long enough for the three +anima beneath them to recover in time._

"Tilah…I thought you promised me… I though you promised that nothing like this would ever happen again."

_A strange, long forgotten feminine voice drifted through his mind, stirring up that last fragment of human conscious inside the black-winged demon once more._

"…Eliza…beth?"

_The name echoed hollowly in his mind, belonging to someone he'd known when he'd worn the title of Tilah… That was the same name he'd carried during the last tragedy, but this…this was even worse. The human part of him no longer had any future left._

_Yet, he felt a strange, nostalgic presence linger on the edge of his senses, almost able to see the girl's face as he heard her voice once more._

"It was never like you to lose hope. You're as strong as you make yourself. …Don't make everyone cry anymore."

"Elizabeth!"

_As her voice faded away, a torrent of memories coursed through that one small part of his mind – memories spanning seven lifetimes._

_The boy felt a single drop of water dampen his cheek, the pain he felt finally leaving a mark on his face._

"Cooro…this…this isn't you! Please…please _stop_!"

_Another female voice, one that was different but even more familiar, sounded, the terrified cry reaching him through his ears. Nana…_

"Cooro, don't!"

"Cooro…!"

_They wouldn't stop, as two more voices, familiar and male, joined hers._

_One more drop escaped his lifeless eyes._

_He wanted to, he wanted to stop. But that fragment was still too small, too weak._

_He couldn't escape, he couldn't escape the grip Catherine and the darkness within him had on his consciousness._

_But…maybe…_

_Maybe, he didn't have to escape._

_Maybe…if he could just find the strength to defy it, for but a single, small moment…_

* * *

The wave of fire all at once released, the three +anima letting out horrified screams with what they thought would be last of their breath.

But it was a strange, hollow cracking that followed. A terrible ring sounding and then abruptly fading away.

All at once, the strange, sparking force that had been coursing through the three +anima's bodies, making it hard for them to move, faded away with it, leaving them with only their bruises and scrapes.

Then a scream came.

But it didn't belong to any of them.

Catherine's voice was broken, her strange eyes shining in rage, horror and disbelief as her legs all at once failed her, the witch collapsing to the ground.

Cooro's own legs failed along with hers.

The force that had been thriving inside and connecting the crow and the raven no longer existed.

At the last moment, the crow had managed to move, turning the flame back against the core shinning between them. It had broken easily, destroyed by the power it represented.

"Cooro!" Nana shrieked, her eyes equally confused and stunned.

* * *

_The cry barely reached the boy's mind, an angry, confused scream leaving his own lips. _

_What had he done?_

_There was a part of him that didn't understand and never would._

_But there was another part that was filled with strange contentedness as his head hit the ground below him, the pain hardly registering as the sensation of touch started to fade away completely._

_It was over. Everything had come to an end. The story he and Catherine had created throughout seven different lifetimes had finally reached its conclusion._

But I did good…right?

No one…will ever be hurt by us again…

_His vision lasted a moment longer, his eyes remaining open as he saw the other, now freed, +anima come rushing up towards him. Seeing their dampened faces stung more than the pain remaining in his failing body._

I'm…sorry… So sorry…

I…never wanted this to happen. I didn't want to hurt you.

So please…don't cry.

_They looked so…far away. His hand stretched out for them, but it felt like he was only falling further apart from the three achingly familiar and teary-eyed +anima approaching him._

_One final tear fell across his own cheek._

But this was always the only ending.

I'm not truly human like you, and I never was.

No matter how much I wanted to believe it, it was never anything more than a dream. …A wonderful dream.

Thank you for making that dream come true, even if it was only for a little while.

I could never have asked for anything better. Or for a family that was more wonderful.

_He wished desperately that his thoughts would form on his tongue, but they wouldn't. He could only hope they'd reached them somehow. After their hearts and paths had connected so completely in the last few months, he liked to believe they would._

Husky…Senri…

Nana… I'm so sorry…I really did want to be with you. More than I ever wanted anything else.

I love you all.

The war is over now…you can have your lives back. Please, be happy…won't you?

…Live…for me…too…

_He saw his old friends call out something, but he could no longer hear the words._

_They disappeared all together as his eyes finally closed._

* * *

Nana could barely force her aching legs to move as she ran up to the two still shapes lying in the alleyway, her heard pounding all the way up in her aching throat.

"Cooro!" She wailed, her mouth dry as she bent over his unmoving figure, placing one of his hands in hers.

But it was too late.

Unwilling to accept it, she searched frantically for any sigh of life. A breath, a pulse, a heartbeat, anything. So many times… So many times she'd come running up to his collapsed form and found one. But not this time.

Cooro was dead.

"No!" Nana screamed defiantly, shaking her head as she pressed her face against the pale hand of his outstretched arm. "No…this can't! This can't…" She wept, her tears running down the boy's still wrist and dampening his ragged sleeves. "No…"

She was barely aware of Husky and Senri standing over her, their gazes filled with stunned disbelief as they stared down at her and the lifeless form of their childhood friend.

After everything…it had ended like this.

But, at the very least, the three of them were still alive. And Cooro had taken Catherine with him. He'd managed to defy her in whatever way he could until the end.

"Not…like this." Nana sobbed, in the moments between the wails tearing at her throat. She tried desperately to remember Cooro's simple, human smile and bright eyes. When was the last time she'd seen them? She couldn't even remember now…

Husky saw Senri bent over next to her, cries leaving his lips. He couldn't keep sobs from leaving his own throat any longer.

But he placed a gentle hand on Nana's shoulder, struggling to find his voice. "He was our Cooro again at the end…just for a moment. He had to have been…" There was a pause, the silver-haired boy staring at the crow +anima's motionless shape. His eyes were closed and his lay on his left side, his huge wings spread out limply behind him. If only his chest had been rising and falling, he would've thought that his old friend was sleeping – the body itself had sustained no serious injuries, it had been the loss of his power that had ended his life. "He sacrificed himself to keep us from getting hurt – that was a choice that he made. And Catherine is dead, too. He managed to defy her, and the other part of himself, just like he wanted. Even if this wasn't everything he'd been hoping for, I'm sure that he was happy… He still won."

Nana didn't say anything, grabbing the body in her arms and pulling it up closer to her, as if she could somehow keep the warmth that was already starting to fade away forever from escaping. He looked just the same… He didn't seem like the monster he'd been just moments before anymore…he just looked like her Cooro. But the achingly familiar shape she was holding was empty. It was…just an object. It wasn't him anymore.

He was…gone.

She just kept sobbing as the thought slowly started to wrap its way around her mind, the girl burying her face in his thick, dark hair as her two remaining companions grieved alongside her.

* * *

"Cooro…where are you? Where are you?"

_It was Nana's voice._

_Where was…he?_

_He didn't know. Beyond the rage and shock that the demon within him felt, there was a part of him that heard her words. Or was it more of a thought that had reached him? He couldn't tell._

"You're safe here in my arms, so open your eyes again…please? Please open your eyes."

_He tried to imagine being in her arms once more, against her soft hands and rhythmic heartbeat. But he was no longer connected to his body. He couldn't feel her anymore._

_He wanted to answer, her voice making his whole spirit throb. He didn't want to lose that voice, he didn't want it to fade away. _

_But he couldn't do anything – he no longer had an earthly tongue._

"I'm sorry Nana… Wherever I'm going, I don't think it'll be a place where you ever will."

"…You still don't fully understand…do you?"

_This time it was a new voice, startling his pained consciousness._

"…Catherine?"

_Why? How was she…?_

"Break away, brother. Go back to them."

_It was definitely her. But her voice sounded…different, somehow._

"You are strong enough – you've proved that now. Everything that's happened…everything evil that was committed with your hands…it wasn't truly you that did those things. You aren't truly the same consciousness after all – I was wrong."

_He didn't understand her words. She must've known, because he heard a slight laugh._

"You were right all along. I'm not the Catherine that you remember, either – there was a part of me that was human, too. A part of me that is no longer connected to the monster that deserves to rot in hell."

"…What?"

"The difference between you and me is that you were awake – you were stronger than I was. I was asleep through everything until now." _There was a pause in the voice. _ "But we weren't always like this… We were each just one being, one demon behind a dark lie, once. Do you understand what changed that?"

"…What're you…?"

"They did… They along with everyone else who ended up caring for you throughout the lives you lived. It's like a child's toy. With enough love, it almost becomes alive in the eyes of the child who cares for it. They believed that you existed beyond a simple lie, they loved you. You responded and loved them back…something a simple monster could never do. It was them that made you real… You exist as you are now because of them."

_The voice paused again for a moment._

"But no one ever loved me like they did you. So why does a human part of me still exist? Heh… I think it's because of you."

"…Sister…"

"So go back to them – they'll be there waiting for you. You have the strength now, and without the monster inside you, you're nothing more than a human spirit. Humans don't need magic or power to live. And there was nothing else fatally wrong with your body itself. If you separate from the demon completely, there's no reason why you can't go back. Live only as a human."

_Go…back? There was a silence, Cooro's consciousness barely registering her words. Could…could he really…?_

"But I'm not strong enough. I can't go back like you can…though I'm just a human, now, too. …I have somewhere else I'm headed. I'll be watching you from the sky above, all right? Goodbye…my brother."

"Sister…wait – "

_But she was gone, her consciousness no longer in the same place as his._

"Cooro…this can't… You promised that you'd go back home with me…I don't want to go without you!" _There was a pause as he heard a few sobs._ "It was always supposed to be the four of us…we were always supposed to be together! It'll…it won't ever be the same without you!"

_Nana…_

_It was her that he heard again, her words tinted in grief. He thought he could hear some other sobs, too – those of his other companions._

_He felt his own grief. _

_He didn't want to leave them. He wanted to be with them, too. To live out the rest of their years together with them, and then join them in the place beyond the sky forever when they one day all passed. _

_Right now…he was so terribly alone. And if didn't break away, he always would be._

_But…_

"Nana… Everyone… I want to stay with you, too."

_As the words drifted through his consciousness, he thought he could suddenly just make out the sensation of a hand against his side and someone else's tears dripping down over his forehead._

* * *

Nana didn't know how much time had passed as she sat there with Cooro's corpse in her arms, unable to stop the sobs from coming.

It must've been a while. His body was cold now; his hair wet with her tears, and the tell-tale pale tint to the sky foretold the coming of dawn.

Husky still had dampness in his own eyes and shakiness in his own voice, but he finally spoke up. "Come on, Nana. We need to go… Let's take him and Meora with us, and head back to the ship before anyone sees us here. …Let Senri carry him."

She didn't respond. She felt like she wouldn't even be able to move her own body anymore if she tried – it wouldn't stop shaking. But the woman knew he was right. They did need to go... But… "We can't just go back without him…" She insisted sadly.

"I'm afraid that we don't have a choice… And he'd want us to be happy, don't you think?" Husky reminded gently.

Nana just gave a small nod, trying to force her stiff neck to rise back up.

But then, she felt something odd. An unexpected thump against her own chest.

Was that…a heartbeat?

Blinking, she looked down at the body in her arms again, her breath catching in her throat.

…Was she imagining things now? She had to be…

But the thump came again, followed by the feeling of something shifting and tensing just slightly beneath her grip.

What really made her eyes widen was when the sound of breath left his throat.

Senri was still sitting next to her, just another moment passing before he noticed what she had.

There was a silence, before the silver-haired boy looked over towards them again.

"Nana, Senri…? …What's…?" Husky blinked himself, suddenly noticing their stunned, almost slightly fearful, gazes.

"Cooro…he's…" Nana paused for a moment, almost as if she was afraid to say it. "He's still alive… He's still alive!"

Husky's eyes just narrowed, an expression that almost resembled pity coming across his face. He was about to speak, but Senri did first. "…Alive." He repeated.

Then the other boy blinked. "No way – he was… Stop it guys…we checked all his vitals. He's…" He sputtered, not quite sure what to say to their claims and the disbelief in their eyes.

He took a few steps closer, his mouth all at once falling agape once he realized what he was looking at.

What on earth…? Husky almost took a step back again.

He'd had no heartbeat, no pulse, and no breath.

The crow +anima had passed away with Catherine once the power that they lived on had been destroyed.

So then why was he breathing again?

There was almost a sense of fear mixed in with the disbelief the three of them held. What if he was once again the monster he had been? What if…? All sorts of thoughts played in their stunned mind as they stared down at their old friend, their own bodies stiff.

Cooro stirred again, his muscles tensing once more as he all at once let out a quiet groan.

His eyes slowly opened, and for an instant, everyone was quiet.

They still looked empty and lifeless, but it only lasted a moment this time. A light began to return to the familiar brown orbs, bringing with it the sense of a human soul staring back at them.

"…Na…na…?" His muttered weakly, the girl staring directly down at the boy still in her arms.

"H…how…?" She breathed, the disbelief not leaving her gaze.

A smile slowly found its way across the black-winged +anima's still somewhat pale lips. "I heard you calling."

Nana's eyes somehow stretched even wider. "Cooro!" She wailed, though this time it was tears of a different sort that dampened her face as she pulled him closer again.

He reached out, too, his own chilled face starting to dampen as his shaky arms clung to the fabric of her dress. Husky and Senri leaned closer as well, joining them.

He was really back.

It was over, and he was really still with them. The boy wasn't sure if he'd ever felt so happy before.

They stayed like that for a while, too, until the rising sun melted away the shadows of the alleyway.

* * *

It was Husky that first spoke again, looking down at the crow +anima. "…Do you think you can walk? We should all really head back to the ship, now." He reminded once more. "We're all a bit roughed up, too. We need to clean the wounds and get some more bandages.

Cooro slowly nodded. "Yeah…I think so."

Nana clung to him a moment longer, as if she was afraid some illusion would break if she let go, but eventually she slowly released her grip and started pushing her own stiff form up.

Sure enough, he did the same a moment later, though he reached onto Senri's shoulder for support as he struggled to steady himself.

"…How are feeling, anyway?" Nana wondered aloud as she brushed the alleyway grime off her dress, a small hint of disbelief still in her voice. She was a mess…they all were.

"I'm a bit cold, but I'm fine… Great, actually." Cooro grinned, gratefully taking the shale Senri offered as he spoke. "I feel…different, somehow."

"It's because that creature that was trying to consume you is still dead." Husky commented, almost as if he was just realizing it, himself. "That thing couldn't exist without the power you destroyed, right? So it must still be gone – you're just a regular person, now."

Just a regular person.

Cooro was quiet for a moment, as if only just now fully comprehending what that meant. But that was right…it was the same thing Catherine had told him.

He wiped away a small bit of fresh dampness from under his eyes. He'd never felt the same as he did right now – at last, completely free. He hadn't realized it, but Catherine and the creature within him must've been affecting him much more than he'd realized, even in those times when he'd thought he was away from their influence. Yet even now, in his +anima form and with his wings still hanging behind him, he was nothing but himself. It was an amazing feeling.

But…

His grin diminished just slightly as he suddenly turned back towards Catherine's motionless form.

Her body was simply lying sprawled out on the ground, her empty eyes open unseeingly. Without saying anything, he walked over to the still shape.

In some strange way, he'd miss her. He wouldn't miss the misery she'd caused – not at all, but somehow she'd always been the one constant in his life. Or rather…lives. Even in just his time as Cooro, she'd been a part of his life for eight long years.

He reached down, gently closing her eyelids.

_Goodbye…wherever you are now, I hope you finally find your own peace and your own happiness…my sister._

Feeling the others watching, the crow +anima turned back towards his childhood friends again. The sun had finally found its way to the horizon, painting the sky behind them in warm shades of pink and orange. Everything was really over… Somehow, that thought made the sunrise seem larger and brighter than it ever had before. He felt like he was seeing it for the first time.

A smile returned to Cooro's face. "Come on, let's head home."

There was a brief pause, his smile somehow growing wider. He didn't bother to wipe his tears away this time. "And thank you all for everything. Thank you for believing in me… I wouldn't be here like this without you."

* * *

_Don't forget to read the epilogue~_


	25. Epilogue: Home

**The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer:** I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work. Also, since this is the last chapter, I may as well mention that I do own my OCs, though with the exception of Catherine, Elizabeth, Mirka, and Tilah, I don't mind if they're used elsewhere as long as I'm credited.

_Now just for the epilogue, and twenty-fifth chapter overall~_

_**This was uploaded at the same time as the final full chapter, so if you ended up at this page first, make sure to go back and read chapter twenty-three before this.**_

* * *

**Epilogue:** Home

* * *

_Dear Journal:_

_Well, I liked doing this as Tilah, so I figured that I may as well give it another try now, right?_

_I picked up this notebook at a store in Senri's village. I think we're getting close to Nana's shop now. It's really quiet in here – almost everyone's asleep, so the only noise comes from the carriage's wheels. But it's okay – I can finally find silence peaceful. _

_It's been almost two weeks since Sister… Since Catherine passed away and everything was finally put to rest. I'm still not used to it – being able to sleep through a whole night without have to be afraid, I mean. _

_It feels so strange, but it's wonderful. _

_So is everything else. I'm finally free – I think that thought is only just now registering in my mind. I don't need to feel frightened or guilty anymore. I don't have to worry about her coming or anyone else getting hurt because of my presence. I'm finally just a normal human, and a normal +anima. _

_Even the war is over – the king kept his word. We got back to the fortress just in time to celebrate with Kazana and everyone else. It was a little awkward, especially since I don't have my powers anymore – I was known for that there, but I don't think it's a story that I can just go around explaining. For the most part, I just hung out Nana and the others…but that was enough. Being able to fully enjoy the party was another simple pleasure I never thought I'd have._

_Meora was buried there, too… I've both gained and lost so much just in these last couple of months – it's staggering. Thank you, Meora…I promise that I won't ever forget you. I hope you finally got the chance now to tell Captain Jake how you feel._

_A lot of the +anima there had their own homes to go back two, and others were ready to search for a new life of their own. A lot of carriages started running to carry everyone – we were lucky and got a ride on one of the first to take off._

_We left from Senri's village just a little more than half an hour ago. He got off there. With the movement against +anima lifted, he was able to go back home to his workshop. It was hard to say goodbye, but I know we'll see him again soon this time. _

_He looked so happy, too. It'll probably still be rough for a while – there were a lot of people giving him nervous or dirty looks – but there were just as many parents and children who looked excited to see him. They need him, just like we did when we were young._

_And it was less than ten minutes ago that Husky got off. It was in this same village, actually, just at the stop near the entrance, with a couple of other +anima that he met at the fortress. One of them offered him a job at a jewelry crafting and repair shop. Certainly different than the job he had as a guard, but it's perfect for him, I think – he still has his penchant for anything expensive that glitters or sparkles. I think he'll be happier here than he was with the squadron. _

_It won't be far from the merchant shop, either – we'll be within walking distance, just on the edge of the same village._

_I'm excited, as well as a bit nervous – it feels odd coming back here now, after everything that happened. This is where the rock was thrown that set it all in motion. I wonder what would've happened to me if I'd never run into Nana here…sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between coincidence and fate._

_I wonder if I'll really be any good at helping to run a shop? Nana says that she'll help teach me everything that Niomi passed on to her, though. I can't wait to get started…finally, I'll have a real family and a real home._

_Cooro Alba_

* * *

The book in the dark-haired boy's hands was suddenly pulled down slightly, Cooro blinking and looking up to see Nana gazing at him. Her lips formed an excited grin. "We're almost there, now! We should start getting ready!"

Indeed, it was just a few moments later than the driver called out the name of their stop. Quickly closing his notebook and placing the pen inside the coil, Cooro packed the journal inside the same wooden box that held Tilah's broken pendant.

The young man paused and stared at it for a while. Nana had been holding onto it after finding it, and had given it back to him during their journey by ship back the fortress. Even with the unnatural glow gone and a few chips in its smooth glass surface, the necklace was still beautiful…and it held so many bittersweet memories.

They were memories he'd made peace with back at the resort town where he'd entered this world for the first time as Mirka. That was where they slept. He was strong enough, now, though. He was Cooro, no one else, yet the memories he carried as Tilah and the others would always have their own, special place somewhere in his heart.

But that would no longer stop him from carving out as many new memories as he could.

This time, the two of them stepped off as the carriage came to a halt near the village's edge – the place where Nana's old merchant shop was there waiting for them.

There were a few of her old co-workers, too, there to welcome her home. Only a few of them recognized Cooro when he was introduced, but that was just as well. Like almost everywhere else, this place held both sweet and sad memories for him, though with time he was sure the former would come to overwhelm the latter.

Some of the other workers still seemed a bit wary around them, but they respected Niomi's wishes and treated them well. As days passed, perhaps whatever unease they harbored would fade away, too.

It was when they left, though, that the slight tension in Nana's eyes faded away to pure contentedness. Moving away from the carriage stop, she took a few steps towards the hill that housed the orchard she'd helped grow.

It would be spring soon, but even in the winter the scent in the air was crisp and calm. The young woman closed her eyes, breathing the familiar air that carried with it the scent of her home.

It was exactly the same. Exactly the same as it had been that night when she'd thought she'd left this place behind forever, but she herself was different. Whether or not she'd realized it, she had still been just a young girl when she'd left, but she'd become so much stronger now.

She'd become an adult. All of them had.

"Nana…" Cooro whispered as he noticed a few stray drops of water begin to dampen her cheeks. He took a few steps forward, gently reaching out and wiping them away with the back of his fingers.

Nana just let out a small giggle, gingerly catching his hand. "It's alright, I'm just…" She paused, somehow unable to find the right words to describe her mixture of excited anxiety, bittersweet memories, and utter contentment. "…Really happy." Sometimes simple words could speak the loudest, her smile widening into a grin and a few more tears welling up under her eyes as she finished.

She leaned forward before the boy could say anything, catching him in an embrace. Blinking, Cooro's own lips moved to a contented grin as he returned it. "I am too."

That simple, yet somehow wonderful, moment lasted a few seconds longer, until Nana suddenly leaned up and gave the boy a peck on the lips that momentarily left him stunned.

She backed up, giving a playful giggle and smile. "Come on, can you help me move my stuff from the cottage into Niomi's old room inside the store? We should stay there so that we can keep a good eye on the shop, and maybe we can turn my old cottage into a guest house. I bet it'd be a good place for Husky and Senri to stay when they come visit!"

"Right." Cooro agreed with a nod, a last tint of redness still on his face. The four +anima had all agreed that they would pay each other frequent visits. They all lived close by, and they planned to permanently stay in contact.

After all, they were a family.

They'd given each other the thing they all needed most. They'd been foolish those eight years ago, when they'd once said goodbye. They'd made a mistake. They'd always been meant to be a family, and this time they would continue to share their lives together.

"Good." Nana grinned, a playful tint still present in her voice and face. All at once, her leathery bat wings spread from behind her back, the girl moving into her +anima form. And with the war over, she didn't even have to hide it or worry about who might be watching. "Then how about we race to the top of the hill? You said that you wanted to get some more practice at flying again, didn't you?"

Cooro blinked, momentarily taken by surprise, but then a grin found its way back across his features. "Let's go!" He agreed with a nod.

A feeling that was once again familiar worked its way though his body as huge, black wings emerged from his shoulders in a single movement. The boy gave the powerful, feathery limbs just a few warm-up flaps before the two of them took off, rushing through the air above the orchard's hill.

This time there was no pain, no foreign haze or worry. Just the feel of the wind beneath them and the excited giggles echoing from their voices.

Home…

That word repeated itself over and over again in Cooro's mind. It'd almost seemed like nothing but a fairy tale for the longest time, something he could reach for but never have. But thanks to Nana and the others, he finally had somewhere to give that title to.

And beyond that…he had a future and a family.

Everything was finally over. But that only meant that a new chapter was about to begin. One that all four of them deserved and one that would be much brighter. …And one that he and Nana would give shape to together.

Their faces beaming with warmth even as they flew under the gray winter sky, the orchard on the hill was alive with the sound of laughter and the feeling of hope.

Finally…they were home.

* * *

**~ Fin ~**

* * *

_And with everyone's return home and at the beginning of their new lives, the fic draws to it's close. _

_From August 2008 to April 2011...it's finally finished! __It's a somewhat bittersweet feeling after having written for it for so long, but this also actually marks the first time I've ever fully completed a multi-chapter story! I've learned a lot while working on it - I certainly don't think it'll be the last. _

_Thanks a ton to everyone who read, and especially everyone who favorited or reviewed! I hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it._

_As always, please review and let me know what you thought of the ending or the fic as a whole._

_I don't know what my next project will be (feel free to send in suggestions/requests if you have any), but I don't see myself retiring from fanfic writing entirely, so I'll probably start something new at some date in time. _

_Thanks again, and see you around~_

_-Tears _


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